Wake Me Up
by BridgetoNowhere
Summary: Living in a zombie apocalypse is hard enough, but when you've lost your reason for living, how much more can you bear? SEQUEL TO my Faberry fic EVERYTHING DIES.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: Hi! So this is the sequel to my Faberry story "Everything Dies", if you haven't read it you can find it on my page or I'll put the link at the bottom of the page To everyone who did read ED and complained about how I ended it, I hope you'll understand my reasons in the later chapters of this fanfiction, although I don't think this one will be as long as Everything Dies, because I'm really busy at the moment and I don't want to leave you hanging for weeks before I get to write another chapter. Anyway I hope you enjoy.**_

* * *

**QUINN**

_Making my way through the darkness, _

* * *

It's been eight days. Eight horrible, excruciating and pointless days. There's no sign of any helicopter and the only contact we have with the outside world is the cracklings from far away police officers that come up on the radio every so often, never clear enough for us to understand.

It all seems pointless now anyway. Despite my intentions, I have withdrawn myself from everything and everyone, since we arrived here in this safe shelter. I haven't felt the need to protect or lead anybody anyway. I've got them here but I don't I can take them any further any time soon. It was only when we reached here that the grief and feeling of loss kicked in. Each day gets longer and more unbearable and I find it hoard to tolerate anybody at the moment. Emotions are high and the bonds between our group are weaker than ever. Everybody has been affected by Rachel's loss. What's hurting the most is knowing that I'm not keeping her promise, she wanted to keep fighting and to guide those, but I don't see the point anymore. I'm too bitter and wrapped up in grief to help anybody at the moment. Rachel is my reason for living but now that she's no longer by my side, it's hard to see a future. I pray everyday that this is all just a horrible, temporary nightmare and that somebody will wake me up and I will find Rachel, safe and sound by my side.

I've been hiding in my own claimed territory for the past few days, only emerging when I need food or something.I feel like I'm the only one that's really mourning for what happened to Rachel and the others are just afraid that it's them next, but deep down I know that's not true. Santana has become an absolute train wreck. She has suddenly regained all the fierceness and bitchiness that she was once known for, but this time it's different, it's cold, almost haunting. I am almost afraid to speak to Santana now, I think she's blaming me for this. On our way, she decapitated dozens of zombies in a fit of rage, zombies that weren't even trying to attack us and then spit on the ground beside their detached heads. I shudder even at the memory, I can't believe she has become like this in such a short period of time. I seem to be the only one who remembers that these zombies were once people like us, trying to survive? How do we know that there are no parts of their human soul remaining?

I know Santana was reluctant to leave Lima in the first place but I really never could have thought that Rachel would fall first. When Rachel appeared at McKinley I swore to myself that I would protect her, that I would never lose her. I promised I would help her overcome her fears and after effects of the attack she endured. But I've broken a lot of promises these days gone by.

Shelby has taken it pretty bad too, like me she's shut herself away, I hear her crying every so often, it's kind of an achievement that we got her this far, she completely broke down when I told them what happened.

_It took me all my strength to drag myself back to where I had left Puck and Santana. I felt relieved, seeing the two SUVs still parked there on the road ahead of me, but also angry. There were fifteen us, how did it come down to Rachel having to fight a whole horde by herself. I should have been furious but I was too overcome with shock._

_ As I stumbled towards the Suv's, the doors of the vehicles swung open. I saw the occupants running from them and towards me._

_ "Quinn is back!" Santana called as more of them joined, running in from the right hand side of the road where they were sitting._

_ "Quinn!" They shouted, advancing hurriedly towards me._

_ "Where the hell were you?" Puck demanded. "You can't just run off!" He looked impatient and annoyed._

_"Wait! Shelby shouted, her eyes widening as she looked around me, hugging Beth tighter to her chest. "Where's Rachel?"_

_ I looked to the ground, unable to get the words out. "Quinn, where's Rachel?" Kurt repeated._

_"She's-" It felt like my tongue was swelling and I began to stammer, causing me to force out the next word with my eyes to the ground, "Dead."_

_ "WHAT?" Santana responded in a deafening screech. I moved my head up to face them, each one of them wore a bewildered expression._

_"Dead?" Kurt echoed._

_"No," Blaine shook his head adamantly. "She can't be. Not Rachel."_

_ "She was bitten," I stammered. "She had to fight off all those zombies by herself, she distracted them by injuring herself, to save me."_

_ Shelby began to tremble. "Quinn, please, please tell me you're lying."  
I shook my head, wishing I could tell her otherwise and the tears came back to my eyes. _

_"No!" Shelby screamed. Puck quickly stepped in and took Beth from her arms before she dropped her. Shelby slowly fell to the ground."No! This isn't fair! We got to go back, we have to help her! Come on!"_

_ "It's too late," I cried. "I found her too late."_

_ Shelby turned hysterical which made me even more upset, "No! That's my daughter, my daughter is dead!" As I watched her sob I could feel my own heart breaking inside my chest._

It took us more than half an hour just to move her out of that spot, nobody, not even Beth could make her stop crying. Along he way, she'd break down at random intervals, crying for a long period, but nobody was able to console her.

Shelby sleeps not so far away from me here, I've been woken up nearly every night by cries that I assume to be Beth, when in fact they belong to her adoptive mother. It's becoming even more difficult to be around Shelby, and it's not really about Beth anymore, it's because I know I can't console her at the moment.

Knowing what I've done to my girlfriend, I don't feel like I should be around anybody at the moment.

"Hey," A voice calls, her head peering the makeshift shelter of large wooden boards that I've made as my sleeping place. It's Skylar, she and her brother Mitchell have been more welcoming than I expected, I can't believe how openly they were willing to accept strangers into their safe place. It gives me some faith in humanity. The other two people that were sheltering here, Jack and Amber who are a married couple in their thirties were a bit more cautious, as I would be, but since Mitchell and Skylar found this place, their decision outweighed the others.

Skylar is a mystery to me, with her pixie cut brown hair and innocent looking eyes I often wonder how she made it this far. She and her brother were made their way here with a group of survivors from the south of Michigan before they ran out of ammo. She tells us there are so many zombies in the towns closer to the border, that to try travel there is a death sentence. So she and her brother decided they would not go any further and instead found shelter in this hardware store which they've made secure with wooden posts and metal wires that surround the building.

"Hi," I mumble.

"Food is ready," she informs me. I sigh and ease myself off the ground.

"Thanks," I whisper.

"Maybe you could stay down and eat with us today?" She asks in a friendly, soft tone. "The others are worried about you, you know. Even for a few minutes?"

"I don't know," I reply. "I don't feel like it."

"Please?" She pouts. "I think Mitchell is worried that you don't like his cooking."

I bite my lip, I feel bad and decide to give in to her request. I suppose I should show some appreciation for all their hospitality. Skylar walks down the large flight of stairs leading to the ground floor, I follow slowly behind her as she leads me to the small cafeteria which must have been for the staff that worked here.

Inside the cramped and dull lit room, the rest of our group has gathered around the rectangular metal table in the middle of the room, each of them seated on a white plastic chair. The only people not here are Jack and Amber, but they usually eat by themselves anyway.

"Quinn," Mitchell greets with a cautious smile, aqs begins to place bowls of a concoction in front of each person at the table. He's just two years older than his sister, and has the same warm smile and friendly, open personality with shocking blond hair to go with it.

"Take a seat," Skylar invites me, pointing to a vacant seat beside Brittany. I clear my throat awkwardly as I sit down beside her and Mitchell places a bowl of a mixture of colours and textures before me. It's the same as always, a mixture of whatever food they have stored up but nobody cares about the appearance, at least it has flavour and it keeps us alive.

"Thank you," I murmur to Mitchell who smiles contently before taking a seat beside Skylar down the other end of the table. Everybody begins to eat but I can feel the occasional glance on me. I look up and observe those sitting around me, it's the first time I've been together with all of them since we got here. I take in their weary, tired faces, pale from lack of sunlight. Everyone is unusually silent and I can see that something has them all bothered. The atmosphere is cold and grim. Is this the effect that Rachel's loss has had? It's worse than I could have imagined, there is no signs of warmth or connection between this group, even Kurt ad Blaine don't speak, they just subtly hold hands under the table.

I look across the Shelby, she seems to have aged about five years in the past five days, her eyes are puffy from crying and she has lost weight too. Even Beth's attitude has changed, the small girl looks frightened and confused as she sits between Puck and Shelby, glancing up at her mother with a bewildered look every few minutes.

Even those who didn't know Rachel all that well; my dad, Kitty, Jake and Marley seem to be affected by everyone else's mood. They all seem just as grief stricken and hopeless as I do. The only other emotions I can see are the impatient, annoyed and fierce looks flaring in Santana's eyes who is glowering at me.

The members of the table leave the table individually and at different times, each going completely different ways, nobody saying a word. It's like everybody has become a stranger. After eating half of the contents in front of me, I can't swallow any more. There's this horrible feeling in my gut and I just want to get out of here I quickly thank Skylar and Mitchell before leaving and rushing back up stairs to my own space.

I sit down on the floor and place my head in my hands. Surely I should have realized that things were this bad between our group before now? I feel ashamed, I think Rachel would too.

As I lean back to rest my head on the wall, I feel something forgotten in my pocket. Slowly I reach my hand back and dig into my pocket, pulling out the small object. It's Rachel's knife. I had completely forgotten about it. I uncover it, revealing the sharp blade through which I can see my own, tired, red eyed reflection. Rachel gave me this before she fell into her sleep. It all comes back to me so vividly, the blood running down her arm, her weak face, our tears mixing and the last kiss I placed on her unconscious lips, when I swore to myself that I would make her I look at it, I remember why I'm here and what I was supposed to do.

I am supposed to keep everyone alive, but I can't do that if nobody even talks any more. There is no sign of help coming, and we can't keep waiting, we're going to have to move on if we don't receive help in the next few days. We need to go to Canada so we can live the rest of our lives and help those who are trying to find a cure. I sigh frustratedly, I can't help feel that this is my fault. Rachel didn't want any of us to turn out this way so I need to stay lyal to her wishes. I've let grief over come me and swallow me into a dark, confined space. I have to hold back all this grief and take control of myself and the others that came here with me. I have to stop shutting myself away and try to help everyone instead, even if they are grieving, I have to be the strong one here, the optimistic, confident one because I have a secret, I know something that they don't.

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_**Okay I promise following chapters will be longer, thanks for reading. It's 1am when I'm writing this, so there's probably a lot of mistakes, I'll probably edit this in the next day or so, I'll let readers know if I do. Also, please expect intervals of a few days in between the publication of chapters as my life is crazy busy this month. Sorry! **_

_**Link to Everything Dies : www.****fanfiction** s/10245308/1/**Everything**-**Dies**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Life will pass me by if I don't open up my eyes_

* * *

Slowly, I find a small bit of strength in myself to leave my small, cramped shelter so I can pursue in an interaction with the others who came here with me and those that were kind enough to let us in.

As I walk, I really notice our surroundings for the first time. I have never really been to a hardware store, my father never brought me along when I was a child, he said it "wasn't fit for young girls to be having an interest in these things."

I descend the large staircase, the first aisle I see ahead of me is the paint section, home to every type and color of paint. I walk past it, making a mental note to explore all the colors in details later, I really could use a bit of brightness in my life. The next aisle on my right is almost cleared out, it contains the remainders of boxes of small , handsized axes and pickaxes, and across from that are loppers and chainsaws but there's not even enough weapons left for one to a person. They must have been cleared out when the madness began.

I hear mumbling as I continue to walk towards the large, heavily sealed entrance of the store, indicating the others are nearby. A group consisting of Mitchell, Kitty, Brittany, Carol, Kurt, Blaine, Maribel, Santana, and Puck who holds Beth on his knee, sit in a circle of plastic, reclining chairs, the kind my mother would sun bathe on in hot weather. Even though they sit together, there is no sense of togetherness emanating from there, they're talking but they don't seem to care whether anybody is listening or not. This means that the others who are not here are on the roof of the building or at the fence, guarding the building with our guns and making sure no zombies are coming our way. We take turns but Santana always insists on filling in for me, I think this is just so she can try to kill more zombies, and nobody expects Shelby to do anything anymore. They just take pity on her.

They surround the small radio that Skylar and Mitchell had been able to contact us with in the first place, at the moment the radio is silent. I sigh before letting any of them know I'm here, it's kind of pathetic watching them huddled around such a small contraption which has been useless in regards to helping us go North. I wonder if maybe the helicopter was just way to keep people calm and now the authorities just presume they're dead anyway and won't bother to try and find us.

Something inside me tells me we need to keep moving and that we need to leave the hardware store and leave Michigan.I want to get to Canada as quickly as possible. I don't even know what we'll find there, but if that's where everybody is going surely there's something to be found. If people are living in Canada, there has to be a group of people working on a cure and I want to try to help. I know Rachel would want us to keep going. Eight days here has been long enough, if the helicopters haven't come now, I don't think they ever will.

I've heard the others talking about the small numbers of zombies that roam outside the building. I fear that as human population decreases, these zombies will adapt to the lack of food or the heat of the sun in order to survive, they could become even more vicious predators than they already are and I don't want to be hanging around when that happens. If we stay here any longer, we could miss all our opportunities to stay alive, but how can I open the others' eyes and make them realize what I have just realized? I'm sure we can make it to Canada, all we need is some more weapons and vehicles which there are a few of in the parking lot across the street.

I am sure that I want to leave this place and as soon as possible too but I don't know how easy it will be to persuade people to come with me, especially after what happened to Rachel and now that we have four new people, we can't leave them behind either.

"Quinn," Mitchell calls me over, suddenly noticing me standing behind them. "We didn't see you there."

"Hi," I mumble.

"Come sit down," he invites me. I notice that Kitty is sitting extra close to him and they're holding hands. When did this happen? Brittany points her hand towards the empty seat beside her. I hesitate for a moment before I join the circle, met by Santana's pair of unimpressed eyes. I sit upright and uncomfortably in my chair, knowing that everyone is looking at me. I haven;t even looked in a mirror in the past eight days, I have no clue how bad my hair looks or red my eyes must be from all the crying I've been doing. Usually I never care about what people think about me but if I'm going to persuade this group to leave this place, I can't look like an afraid, emotional wreck.

"How are you?" Mitchell asks.  
"Fine," I answer, but not in the friendliest of tones, instantly making me feel bad. Mitchell and Skylar have gone out of their depths to welcome us, they don't deserve this hostility.

"We were just talking about what we'll do when the aircraft gets here," He tells me. I notice how Kitty is gazing up at him, swallowing every word he says. "And what we're going to all do in Canada. Kurt and Blaine are going to get a house somewhere, Brittany is going go back to school, what about you Quinn?"

I raise an eyebrow, seriously? How can they be so positive? A house, jeez. I'm sure if the rumours are correct, that life will be better in Canada bu it won't all just fall into our laps like that. "I'm going to see if I can help scientists find a cure," I answer, wondering if my wish is just as stupid and optimistic as the rest.

"So you think one can be found? To stop more people from turning?"

"And help those who already have," I answer. "I think it's possible."

"Well that's very noble of you Quinn," He says, although I can tell he doubts its likelihood. "Well as I was saying to the others, there's a hoard of zombies heading this way, not to worry you or anything, we had one, not this big but a hoard all the same, some weeks back and they just passed by but we will be doing a blackout when they do come and we must make sure that everybody stays quiet."

"A hoard?" I ask. "Of how many?"

"Maybe a hundred or so, " He answers. "But we're completely safe here."

I bite my lip. A hundred? That's just another reason for us to get out of here. We'll need as many weapons as possible though.

I see Skylar in the aisles across the floor, I should talk to her. "Excuse me," I say abruptly, as I stand up and leave the circle.

"Skylar," I call as I approach the short brunette in an aisle of hammers , nails and other small tools.

"Oh hey Quinn, what's up?" She smiles.

"Skylar, is there a back room here with more supplies?"

"Sure there is," she replies with a questioning expression.

"Can you take me there?"

She nods and leads me to a large metal door, she crouches down to grab the end of the door and pulls it up. The room inside is pitch black until we step inside and Skylar reaches for the light switch on the wall. The room illuminates, revealing boxes upon boxes of miscellaneous equipment on shelves or on the floor.

"What are you looking for?" She asks curiously.

"Chainsaws, axes, anything like that," I reply, already having begun to walk around and inspect the place. Skylar hasn't even moved out of place when i find a shelf with a box full of axes and hammers and some chainsaws just down from that.

I begin to count them, there must be at east two weapons per person here, as well as the guns and knives we have already. "You want to leave," Skylar says, suddenly catching my full attention. She wears a hurt expression on her face.

"Skylar, I-" I begin to stumble.

"It's because of the helicopters isn't it?" She asks. "Look Quinn I'm sorry, we thought they'd be here by now."

"I'm sorry Skylar, I just have to keep going and get to Canada, and I want to bring everyone with me," I explain.

She shakes her head. "I can't believe this, Quinn what have we done wrong? This place is safe, I'm not sure I want to leave it. And frankly I don't think Mitchell, Jack or Amber will either."  
I can hear the anger building in her voice, "Look maybe we can just talk to everybody," I say. "We can't stay here forever."

She sighs but doesn't say a word as she leads me back out of the room and towards the front door. "Everybody get to the front door," she yells loud enough for everybody outside to hear. "We need to talk."

I slowly walk behind her to the circle of plastic chairs, I can tell from behind that she's wearing a pissed expression on her face. Behind me, I see the others climbing down from the high windows which are the only way in and out of this building, each of them looking confused.

"Woah sis," Mitchell says, standing up as Skylar walks towards him, "What's wrong with you?" Jack, Amber, Russel, Marley and Jake come in behind us.

"Quinn can tell you," She says coldly, everybody's gazes become fixed on me.

"Quinn?" Blaine asks with a worried expression.

"I want to leave," I spit out, "I think we need to get out of here and keep going North."

There is a moment of awkward silence and confused glances until Santana s the first to respond. "You're fucking kidding me right?"

I swallow and shake my head. "Look there's no sign of any helicopter, i know we've only been here eight days but Skylar and Mitchell have been here much longer than that and if we stay here much longer, maybe we'll miss our chance to cross the border, maybe the world outside will get even worse. There's zombies outside every night and now you say there's a hoard on its way. We can't be safe here much longer."

"This building is just fine!" Skylar protests. "We've survived hoards before, they haven't touched us."  
"Yes but Mitchell said this one is bigger, and now that there are more of us, they might be able to smell us," I say. "We shouldn't wait around and take the risk. Look we have weapons and there's more in the back room, if we travel together we'll be safe."

"Have you just forgotten what happened?" Santana shouts. "Your girlfriend was killed by a zombie, by going out there we're completely exposing ourselves to them! Does that not matter to you anymore?"

"Look guys, please I don;t think it's safe here much longer, with the amount of us that there is, we'll run out of food soon. Look if the hoard do surround the building there's a very small chance that you'll be able to escape."

"Then leave," Amber hisses from behind, "But we're not leaving with you."  
"Who wants to stay and who wants to go?" Mitchell asks impatiently. I frown, I never wanted a division but it doesn't seem like this is up for negotiation.

"We're not going anywhere," Jack says.

"I'm staying," Skylar says. "I don't want there to be a split but Quinn if you don't think this place is safe enough then there's nothing we can do."

"If my sister is then I sure as hell am staying too," Mitchell announces. I watch Kitty, who hasn't left his side, looking up at him anxiously.

"I'm staying," she announces, this time I feel hurt. This is one of my own group, she's followed me before but now I've lost her.

"I'm coming,"Brittany whispers, she slowly walks over to my side.

"Brittany?" Santana asks.

"I'm scared Santana," She replies. "I don't want to wait and see if theose zombies are going to kill me or not."

"Then we're coming too," Blaine says, although Kurt isn't so convinced. "We're not letting you two go."

"Well I'm staying with Kurt, " Carol shrugs.

"Puck?" Blaine asks, I can see this going badly. Puck is going to chose Beth over anything else. I watch him look down at the little blonde girl on his knee.

"Take her Puck," A voice whispers from behind, I look over my shoulder to see Shelby although I have no idea how long she's been standing there.

"Shelby?" He questions.

"Puck, I know you want to go and I want you to bring Beth with you," She says.

"But what about you?"

"I don't have the strength to go any further, I can't take care of my own daughter how can I take care of Beth, I know how much she means to you Puck and I know that you will always put her first so I know you can get her to wherever you're going safely."  
"Shelby," I whisper. "No, you have to come with us."  
"Please Quinn, I can't, but I know that Rachel would want you to keep going, regardless of what decision I make, I want you to be safe and I know you will be of you leave, I want Beth to be safe, with her real parents, I don't know what will happen to us here but I need you to promise you'll take care of yourselves," She whispers weakly. I shake my head, is she really asking this of me? To become Beth's mother again, this isn't right, I don't want to leave her behind.

"It's ok," she smiles, "Quinn please, just go!"

"Jake?" Puck whispers half heartedly to his brother.

Jake looks down at his girlfriend, it seems they already have their mind made up. "We're staying here, with Kitty."

Everytime I hear that answer, it feels like I'm being stabbed. I'm losing people and even though I didn't really care about them before now, I don't want them to die.

"Russel?" I sigh.

"I'm not going anywhere further with you," he spits. "You were such a disappointment Lucy, why couldn't you be more like your sister?"

I ignore him, hurt by his words all the same and turn back to Santana. Maribel wears a terrified look on her face, I feel as if she wants to come but she will stay with her daughter, whatever her decision is.

Santana groans loudly. she stands up angrily and throws her chair to the side. "Fine," she hisses. "I'm coming, but I swear Quinn, if another person dies, I'm done."

I release a breath of relief, I know Santana wants to follow Brittany. I look around at our divided group, we're suddenly down to nine people.

"You can take some weapons," Skylar says, "but only whatever is left on the shelves, not in the backroom."

"Thank you, "I smile at her appreciativley.

"Seriously Skylar?" Jack asks.

"Look I can't let them die, anyway we've more than enough weapons," Skylar sighs. "But once you guys leave, we're not letting you back in. Good luck, I hope you find whatever it is you're searching for."

"Fine," I sigh glancing over at Shelby, she's the only one I will really regret leaving behind. I'm still angry at the kids for abandoning us back at the border, and as for my dad, he doesn't even feel like family anymore. "Thank you."

"Wait what about us?" Jake asks. "Do we get guns?"

"You can have one," Puck says, placing it in Shelby's hand. "We need the rest, but you have plenty of weapons here anyway."

"Come on," I say, "We need to go before it gets dark."

* * *

After we have gathered the small tools left on the shelves as well as our belongings, we have to leave. They wait for me to lead the way up the tall ladders than lead to the high windows. As I climb , I look back down at Shelby, the only one who has come to see us leave.

"Mama!" Beth cries from below me.

"It's okay baby girl, you'll see me again, you're just going on a trip with Puck," Shelby says to her. "I love you so much Beth."

I can hear tears in her voice and I'm trying to stop my own from falling. My heart is aching leaving her behind, but that's her decision and I will respect that, at least they will be safe for a few days, maybe they will even have the sense to escape before the hoard hits. I know Rachel wanted us all to leave together, but I can't force anybody to come with me. Now I just have to ensure that the other eight people travelling with me are always safe as we continue to move forward.

* * *

_**Okay, I'm sorry for the long gaps between updates but please bear with this story until the next chapter, something will be revealed.**_


	3. Chapter 3

The blood of slain zombies is splattered on each of our faces, if we don't find a working vehicle soon, we are done for. The night is closing in on us and we're surrounded by a group of headless zombies, most of them killed by Santana, who treats it like a hobby. Zombies have been appearing out of no where, with their ravenous teeth and hands. If we don't get shelter before the darkness hits, we won't be able to see them when they try to attack. We're not even sure where we are, all we know is that we're on the empty outskirts of Ann Arbor, still heading North.

Beth is whimpering into Puck's shoulder. "Don't cry Beth, everything is okay now, the bad guys are gone, we're just going a new place to sleep tonight," he coaxes.

I sigh. The small blonde has been crying out for her mother since we left, constantly asking where we're going and what's happened and when she;ll see "Mommy" again, I forgot how annoying kids can be. Sure I like them but when I'm in a mood like this, my tolerance and patience begins to wear thin. I know Shelby meant for me to have some part in keeping her safe but I don't think I can calm a scared, crying child right now, I'm still trying to calm myself. I really hope Puck gets her to stop crying, and soon. I have a headache.

"Quinn," Kurt exclaims, "Look there's a red truck over there."

I look over in the direction he's pointing and sure enough, an old rusting Chevy has been left all by itself, the front bumper has fallen off and one of the side mirror has been smashed.

"But there's nine of us," I point out.

"Kurt, Blaine and I will ride in the trunk, with guns in case we need them, the five of you can fit and somebody can take Beth on their knee," Puck offers.

"Fine, I'll drive," I say.

"You want me to wire it?" Puck offers. I tell him I can do it myself but I feel relieved, Puck has been kind to me these past few days so I don't think he's angry with me anymore and that's probably all due to Beth.

We manage to unlock the truck and as I wire the car to a start, the boys climb into the truck.

"I'll take Beth," Brittany offers, "Beth will you sit on my knee please?"

"Okay," the girl whispers, at least she never argues, Shelby raised her well. Once everybody is in the truck and the three boys are in the trunk, I press down on the clutch and change gear so I can drive away from this dead street. I glance through the mirror above me, I can see the tired faces of the passengers in the vehicle, I even try to hold back a yawn. It was tiring, walking this far from the hardware store in a blazing heat. I just want to get out of Ann Arbor and then we can take shelter in the safest looking building available for the night before continuing tomorrow.

* * *

We find ourselves a small garage located at the end of a row of houses some safe miles outside the city, the evening sky is getting increasingly darker, the garage is securely locked by a metal screen in front of the door, and all windows are barred too, except one. It's small and not half as secure as the hardware store but it should do for the night, nothing will be able to get inside. We climb in through the narrow window at the back of the small building, to find it has been cleared out of whatever it was used for and the only things remaining are bags of empty glass bottles and a broken table. We'll have to make do with sleeping on the cold concrete floor but it's better than being out in the darkness.

Puck rummages in his supply bag, producing a can of food which we took from the school, he passes it around to each person at a time but I give my share to Beth, I'm not hungry anyways. After everybody has eaten, the room becomes quieter and tiredness takes over.

I can see Santana out of the corner of my eye, she seems to be a bit more restless than the others, she really has begun to frighten me, the way she can kill zombies so calmly and quickly. She doesn't care that these were once people. I can picture her numerous killings vividly in my mind, images of her swiftly slicing a head in half with a ferocity in her eyes, it makes me shudder. I know she's angry with me, she hasn't spoken to me once since we left the hardware store.

We exchange glances but she holds an impatient stare, as if she's expecting me to say something.

"Are you going to talk to me?" I ask.

"Nope," She replies. I let out a breath of disappointment, I know she has a right to be angry with me, if only I hadn't fired that gun those zombies wouldn't have been attracted and Rachel would still be here.

I hear her sigh loudly as she turns back to face me. "What?"

"Santana I'm sorry about what happened to Rachel, I know I'm responsible," I whisper. "And I know you don't understand why I needed to leave that place but I swear Santana I did it because I wasn't prepared to let everyone be trapped and killed by a huge horde. I just wanted to keep moving, all of us together."

"Fucking zombies," she mutters.

"Santana," I whisper. "Why do you this? Kill zombies the way you do, I mean."

She raises an eyebrow at me as if her reasons are obvious. "Quinn, we have to! They're monsters out there, they've taken so much away from us, families, friends, loved ones! It's a competition for survival, it's either us or them so I say slaughter them. I don't want anybody else to get hurt, I'm not going to lose anymore people."

"But Santana they were once people too, maybe there's a way to help them?"

"Quinn why are you so caught up with the idea of a cure?" She hisses."You're too optimistic, the last scientist we met was a fucking creep who almost raped and killed Rachel, I don't trust any of them to create a cure for this, I'm not going to lie to you but I don't think it's possible, anyone who has turned for is finished, there's no way to save them now. Let's just get to Canada and see what happens there, but while we're getting there, I'm going to kill any zombie that gets in my way!"

She turns away again but this time I know she's finished conversing with me. I sigh, if only she knew.

I rest my head against the rough brick wall, Beth is already asleep across the side of the room and Puck is right beside her side, ready to fall asleep any moment. Kurt and Blaine are lying together, holding each other. They're the only couple left although it surprises me that Santana and Brittany are sitting any closer to each other. Santana has been watching every step that Brittany takes, even though she hasn't been talking to me I can still see it in her face how protective she is of her ex-girlfriend.

I reflect on the hours passed, maybe I should have fought harder to bring the others with me. I think of their faces, and wonder if we'll ever see them alive again. I had a horrible feeling about that hoard, once we saw them in the distance when we were leaving the building I knew we were safer leaving, but despite the odds, I hope they'll be okay.

I know I wasn't particularly close with any of them, especially my dad but I don't them to die either. As we were climbing down the outside wall of the store earlier on, there were already zombies waiting for us on the ground below, but we could all see the dark storm in the distance, a hundred if not more zombies moving slowly but all together in the direction of the store. I only wished that those back inside the building could have seen it too, maybe they would have changed their minds.

The sky outside has lost all light so we sit in complete darkness, I can just a bout make out the outlines of the others who all seem to be trying to sleep. O feel restless but the more I think back on this tiring day, the more I need to close my eyes. I wish that I could hope that the days ahead of us are going to get better.

* * *

Something wakes me in the early hours of the morning as the dawn light shines through the small windows. I sit up trying to figure out what has woken me up so suddenly. I raise my right hand to my chest to feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest. Something is not right.

Then I hear it, a low groaning noise, it seems to be coming from right outside the walls of the building, as if it's speaking to the walls. I know immediately that there's is a zombie outside, from the sound of it, it seems like there is only one although you can never be too sure. I grab Rachel's knife, knowing that I should deal with it before the others wake up. If I don't kill it, it will probably attract more and we won't be able to escape.

"Quinn?" Santana mumbles groggily, she is only half conscious, "What are you doing?"

"Ssh," I whisper, I don't want to disturb the others from their sleep yet, "There's a zombie outside, I'm just going to deal with it. Stay here."

"Ugh,seriously?" She groans, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She watches me as I walk over to the opposite side of the garage and climb the wall to the narrow window through which we entered. I peer out the window, the ground below is clear, the zombie must be around the other side of the infrastructure.

Carefully and slowly, I make my way outside, holding tightly onto Rachel's knife as I make my way down. A meter above the ground, I suddenly lose my footing and fall from the small height, landing on my right ankle. The sharp pain makes me gasp out loudly.

"Shit," I curse myself as I hear the groaning beginning to come closer, I clench on to my knife while trying to find a way to stand up, I think I've twisted if not sprained my ankle. I clench my teeth as I push myself from the floor with my hands and stand up, only to feel even more pain in my ankle. I grab the wall beside me for support and finally I can look up at the monster that's approaching me.

The knife falls from my hand. I can't believe what I'm seeing before me, with a filthy, ripped red track suit and large black eyes she is almost recognisable. Her long brown hair falls around her face, messy and dirty with pieces of branches entangled in it. I can't kill her but she continues to close in on me, still groaning.

"Rachel," I whisper, I'm frozen in place, I can't move even if I wanted to, even my heart has frozen. She opens her mouth, revealing her black-stained teeth and I watch her angle her head as if to aim for my neck.

"Rachel no, don't, please!" I cry, but I can't move. She reaches an unclean hand out towards me and clasps on to my wrist, her head moving closer to my neck. I begin to tremble as my eyes filled with tears, she doesn't even recognize me.

"Quinn what the fuck?" A voice shouts from behind me. I whip my head around to see Santana, her finger pulling on the trigger of her hand gun. I suddenly make eye contact with the zombie who holds on to my tightly, she opens her mouth again although she looks as though she is about to speak and despite the colorness I can tell by the huge look in her eyes that she knows who I am.

"Santana! No!" I shout.

The creature before me lets out a yelp of pain as the fast bullet enters her upper back and as she stumbles to a fall, she cries out one stammered word, "Quinn."


	4. Chapter 4

"Santana no!" I scream as Rachel raises a hand to her chest, breathing heavily as dark blood begins to flow from her wound. She looks at the dripping blood in bewilderment.

"You didn't shoot her?" Santana shouts furiously, making her way over, her gun pointed at Rachel's head. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

"I couldn't kill her Santana!" I shout back.

"I should have known when you started talking about that cure bullshit! Well done Quinn, you've put us all in danger," She hisses. "Quinn you sneaky bitch."

"No," A voice croaks, I realise it comes from the wheezing body beside me. She suddenly flings herself in front of me, as if to shield me from Santana.

"Why is she talking?" Santana shrieks, lowering her gun.

"Wait, she's bleeding," I say, placing my hand against the wound, the blood is warm and is a dark red, it's not black and dry like the blood of other zombies. I hold up my bloody hands to show Santana who frowns.

"What?" She questions. "What the hell is going on?"

"Qu- Quinn," Rachel stammers in a hoarse, dead voice, she raises a hand towards my face.

"Rachel," I whisper, trying to look into her ghastly eyes, although it is almost impossible to know where to look when all I can see is darkness. "You remember me?"

She nods weakly. "S-s-santana," she hisses in a croaking voice, her breathing is getting heavier. "H-hurt me?"

"What is going on?" Santana demands, tears filling her eyes. "This shouldn't be happening! How does she remember us?Rachel? Is it really her?"  
"We have to stop the bleeding," I snap. "Santana is there a first aid kit inside?"

She nods, staring at Rachel in disbelief. I find it just as hard to process. "Well go get it then!" I order impatiently. Santana runs into the garage, I don't even know how I'm going to remove to bullet but I have to try save her. My head and heart are both confused with emotions, I don't know how to react to this. I knew it was dangerous letting her live, but I never thought she would change so quickly. I have to try look past the outside appearance of a monster because I know, that my Rachel has to be somewhere in there.

"Rachel," I whisper as I look down at her, the skin on her face is pale and almost translucent as mud covers her cheek, I can see her pain through her expressions. "Speak to me, what can you remember? Are you still you?"

"Hungry," She growls suddenly, narrowing her colorless eyes and bearing her teeth. "Hurts, blood."

"Rachel," I mumble as I run a hand through her thick, messy hair. "Please, tell me what's happened? I don't want them to hurt you."

"F-f-follow you," she forces out.

"You followed me all the way here? How?" I ask.

"Smell," she wheezes. I look down at her in confusion, my Rachel has been changed but has still managed to keep the tiniest fraction of her humanity, she doesn't seem to be able to put sentences together but she seems to be able to think rationally, especially for a zombie.

"Quinn!" Santana pants, arriving by my side again, a small green bag in her hand.

"I'm not really sure what to do," I confess.

"I do," She replies nonchalantly. "My dad's a doctor, he's had to help some people out in secret before. It's not so difficult, in fact it's one of the only useful abilities I have but I never hoped I would have to perform it. After all this is my mess, I guess it's only fair if I have to clean it up. Get her to lie down. "

"Rachel," I whisper, I slowly take her by the arm, she has no objections to this contact, gently I tug on her arm and low her body so she is sitting on the cold ground. Santana slowly approaches and crouches down.

"Just be careful," I murmur.

"I will, as long as she doesn't bite me."  
"Hey, she's not a monster," I hiss back but I feel nervous all the same.

I watch as Santana takes out a scalpel tweezers, bandages and disinfectants from the bag, she definitely looks as if she knows what she is doing. I watch her lean over Rachel, her hand is trembling. I look away, I'm afraid to watch in case something goes wrong.

I hear a sharp cry of pain, followed by a low growling causing me to look back. Rachel is glowering at Santana, her filthy teeth bared. "Don't even think about biting me Berry!" Santana hisses. "I'm trying to help you for reasons I don't know! Just because we were friends that won't stop me from shooting you if you try to bite me again!"

"Hey!" I snap. I crouch down beside Rachel, her face winces in pain.

"Just making sure she understands," Santana mumbles. Rachel hisses back at Santana, bearing her teeth.

"Ugh," Santana groans, rolling her eyes. "Take a mint Berry!"

"Don't talk to her like that Santana. It's going to be okay Rachel," I whisper soothingly. "Just bear with us we're not going to hurt you so please don't hurt Santana. we're your friends remember? Santana, just get over with."

As Santana makes a small incision into Rachel's skin with a scalpel, a small icy hand touches mine. I realize it's Rachel's, I shiver at the touch, I've never felt a being so cold before. It's like holding a block of ice. She's trembling too, she's just as scared as the rest of us.

Santana is holding a bloody bullet held by a tweezers in front of me making me grimace at the sight. She places it on the floor before placing some disinfectant on the wound. before wrapping a white bandage tightly around Rachel's chest. "There," she whispers.

"She'll be okay?"

"I think so," Santana breathes. "But you can explain this to the others. I don't know what I am doing."

"Th-th-ankssss," Rachel stutters drawing our attention back to her.

"Santana, they can't kill her, she shouldn't be behaving like this if she is a zombie, there is something different about Rachel, maybe we can get her Canada, maybe they can find someway to fully cure her! We have to protect her Santana!"

"Quinn, they're not going to let a zombie over the border if Canada is the only safe place left on this continent! Hold on, wait!A cure!" Santana's eyes are filled with sudden realization. "That scientist, he injected Rachel with something. He said he was working on a cure!"

"Yes," I recall Rachel telling me the horrible story which still makes my blood turn cold. "That must be it, that bastard must have been actually working on a cure. That explains her abilities!" What if this is the answer to everything? Surely what this scientist discovered can be developed, if we bring Rachel to the border surely the will see and understand the circumstances.

"Then we have to keep going North," Santana sighs. "And quickly too, I don't know how fond the others will be of us bringing a zombie along with."

"But why can't we travel back to Lima? To get the cure?"

"But Quinn we have no idea how to use it, shouldn't we get to the border first, surely there are people who can help us there. Anyway, you said that horde is unavoidable now and do you really want to go back to Ohio, after all we've been through?"

"So you're on my side?" I ask with a breath of relief, after taking into account her points. If I have Santana to my defence, it's very unlikely that the others will be able to kill Rachel.

"Sure," she sighs, with a look of uncertainty towards Rachel. "She may have changed but I can't lose her again."

"Qu-quinn," Rachel begins to stammer again.

"What is it Rach?"

"S-ssorry," She whispers, her head is lowered and her face faces the ground.

"No," I shake my head, I grab her cold hand which leads to her looking into my eyes. "It's my fault this happened to you Rachel, I'm sorry but I promise I will fix you."

As there is a shout over head, Rachel's head flashes around and a startled snarl escapes through her teeth.

"Quinn! There's a fucking zombie beside you!" Puck shouts before hollering back inside, "Don't let Beth outside!"

He jumps down from the window, landing with force. "I'll kill it."

"No!" I scream. "You can't! That's-"

"Rachel!" Blaine cuts me off as he climbs down from the window.

"Rachel?" Kurt shouts from inside the garage.

"Quinn," Puck whispers gravely. "What have you done? Has she bitten you?"

"What? No!" I protest. "She wouldn't!"

"Quinn, she's a fucking zombie!" Puck spits. "Why hasn't anybody killed her yet? I thought I heard a gun shot. Wait, why is there bandages on her chest? And the first aid box? Are you fucking crazy? You shot her only to stitch her back up! Idiots!"  
"Shut the fuck up Puck!" Santana snaps. "Look, I know what this looks like, but Rachel isn't a normal zombie! She talks, she remembers us!"

"What?" Blaine asks, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Rachel," I whisper into her ear. "Please show them."

She looks at me, a low growling is escaping from her mouth but it almost sounds like she's nervous or scared of them. I nod, reassuringly.

"Blaine," she coughs out. "and Puck. But w-where's Kurt? Others?"

Blaine's mouth opens in amazement but Puck just shakes his head. "Oh my god!" Kurt shrieks from the window above. His face is completely drained of colour. "She's alive?"

"You didn't kill her Quinn?" Puck raises his voice, cutting Kurt off. "Even though you knew she would come back and remember her last human memory? Just because she can remember our names that doesn't make her any less of a monster! Who knows how many people she has killed on her way to find us. She must be travelling for days!"  
"That's highly unlikely, there's no people around," Blaine whispers.

"Even more of a threat, she's probably starving, we could only be seconds away before she turns on us!" Puck shouts with frustration dominating his tone.

I open my mouth to protest, but Rachel defends herself. "No," she slowly shakes her head. "Never hurt."

"You're going to take a zombie's word for it? Really?"

"Hey!" I snap, "This is Rachel, this is my girlfriend, yes she has changed but that doesn't mean she's a monster. Whatever she was injected with by that scientist has managed to preserve a bit of her human self, if we get her to Canada, it might help them find a cure."

"So you want to bring her all the way to the border?"

"Hey, we're not that far now," I point out. "We have to!"

"This is ridiculous! You're putting everybody in danger!"

"Why don't we vote on it?" Blaine suggests. Puck rolls his eyes, already predicting the outcome.

"Fine," I shrug. "I say she's coming."

"I second that, "Santana sighs. "Brittany, get out here!"

"I want her to come," Blaine says. "It's Rachel after all, right?"

"Yes, she has to come!" Kurt says optimistically.

Brittany suddenly emerges, her eyes wide with incredulity. "What?" She asks before sucking in air in a gasp. "That's Rachel! What is she doing? Quinn, you told us she was dead!"

"B-britt," Rachel manages to get out.

"She talks?" Brittany questions. "Wow I've never met a zombie who talks, but why isn't she eating anyone?"

"Look Brit, Rachel's not a normal zombie," Santana explains. "She was injected with something that makes her different, we're voting whether she can come with us or not, but I promise you she's completely safe!"

"Well I trust Santana," Brittany shrugs. Puck narrows his eyes, knowing that he has lost, even if Maribel and Carol haven't voted.

"Am the only sane one left around here? Fine,have our way," Puck glowers, "But you keep her away from Beth and I, but if something goes wrong Quinn, again, it's all your fault."  
"You're such an ass Puckerman," Santana mumbles.

"Come on, we have to go," I announce.

"Then we have to find another vehicle," Puck replies coldly. "I'm not letting her travel with Beth and it's too crowded anyway."

"Fine," I hiss back, taking Rachel by the hand. "I'm sure there's more vehicles around this neighborhood, you take the truck. Everybody get their belongings, we're moving out."

"I'll get your stuff," Santana tells me, as she eyes Puck suspiciously," You should probably stay with her, as much as you can."

"Quinn," There is a soft whisper in my ear. "Hungry."

Santana hears her too, and we look at each other with uncertainty. "Rachel," I reply. "I can't give you what you want. You're not that monster okay?"

"No," She croaks, dumbfounded. "F-food."

" She must be exhausted, travelling here on foot, I don't even know how she's still standing!I'll get her something," Santana offers as she joins the others in trying to re-enter the garage.

Rachel looks at me, once we are alone, I wish I could hug her but I'm afraid she will break. I know we only have a few seconds before the others return. I look at her in fascination, she's so different, yet I feel the same way I did in her presence before she got bitten, I feel secure, cared for and loved.

I can't help but smile, I almost feel whole again.

"S-smile?" Rachel questions. "Why?"

"Because of you," I answer her.


	5. Chapter 5

"I'll go with Quinn and Rachel," Santana insists to the others as we circle around our two vehicles. Fortunately, we found a small black Audi abandoned down the block. Nobody else seems to want to volunteer, I can tell that by their facial expressions. They all agree silently and open the doors of the chevy.

"Don't you want to go with Brittany?" I ask as the others climb into their vehicle.

"I thought you might want some help, " Santana whispers back. "My mom will take care of Britt, I also want to figure out the deal with Rachel. I'll drive, you can sit in the back with Rachel.""

She pulls open a door and offers the seat to Rachel, who looks at me doubtfully.

"Go on Rach," I encourage as I walk around to the other side of the car so I can sit beside her. She looks afraid, so much that I feel the need to reassure her.

"It's okay Rachel, we're going to get help, and make you better."

She frowns, but stays silent. In the front of the car, Santana changes gear and begins to follow the already moving Chevy in front of us.

"Oh here," Santana says, throwing back a can of tinned fruit to Rachel, "I almost forgot about this."

Rachel frowns at the object, unsure of how to open it. I take it from her hands and open the tin lid with her pocket knife, I am conscious of her eyes on the knife,, I will give it back but just not yet, I don't think she would be able to handle it properly. As I yank the lid off the tin, Rachel snatches it out of my hands almost immediately. She knocks the can back and devours the whole can's contents in seconds. It didn't even look like she chewed the food, she just swallowed.

"Wow," Santana breathes, "she really is hungry."

"Are you thirsty Rachel?" I ask, she nods eagerly. I reach over to my backpack and fish out one of the few bottles of water I had filled in the hardware store before we left. I wish we could have returned to the hardware store, but I think that by now we'd encounter the horde and even if we didn't, they told us not to return. I just wish there was someway of contacting Shelby, to let her know that Rachel was okay or to know if she was okay herself. I don't want to have to tell Rachel that we've left her mother behind.

I take the cap off the plastic bottle, handing it to Rachel who grabs it with two hands and swallows it completely. I am glad I have more otherwise we'd probably end up dying of thirst in this heat. Rachel lets out a satisfied sigh, the food and water seems to have her a bit more relieved.

"You feel better?" I ask. She nods and rests her head against the seat and closes her eyes. She's surely exhausted. I sit in silence as the car travels, I look at Rachel, even with her changed face and skin and her messy hair, she is still beautiful to me. From her distressed facial expressions it looks like she's having a nightmare but almost an hour and a half passes before she opens her eyes. She turns to me with a wide, troubled gaze and frowns.

"Hot," she moans. "Too hot."

"Santana what time is it?"

"Almost midday, it's probably getting to hot for her, can you take off some of her clothes?"

I reach over and tug on the red Cheerios jacket that Rachel is wearing, stripping her down to just the t-shirt I had also given her. I grimace a her bony, translucent and pale arms but something catches my eye. A fluorescent blue light runs through her blood vessels at from her shoulder right down to just past her elbow.

"Santana," I whisper, "Are you seeing this?"

"Shit," Santana curses. "What is that?"

I shake my head. "I don't know, I guess it's what ever she was injected with."

"It's so bright," Santana replies.

"Sp-read," Rachel begins to mumble.

"What is it Rachel?" I ask. "Tell me what you mean?"

"Sp-read," she repeats but I shake my head, I don't know what she means.

"It most be getting too hot for her," Santana suggests. "Maybe we can pull in somewhere ."

"Is it too hot Rachel? How do you survive at midday?"

Rachel looks at me blankly as though I have spoken a completely foreign language to her. "Hot," She mumbles, beginning to groan again.

"I think that's a good idea," I fret, answering Santana as I look at Rachel, she seems so hot and flustered. I don't want her to burn up or black out because of the sun.

Santana continues to follow Puck's vehicle while I, continue to watch Rachel. I wonder what she's thinking or how much she's able to think. I don't even know how much she can understand. I want to tell her how I feel, how much I've missed her but I'm afraid I'll upset her or confuse her and I don't want to say anything with Santana in the car. Rachel sits silently, watching me observe all the changes she has gone through. I can't seem to be able to take my eyes away from the blue light underneath her skin, I've never seen something so luminous.

Santana blows the horn before pressing down on the brake and stopping the car at the side of a country road, surrounded by evergreen trees, which looks like a small shopping mall in front of us Puck's vehicle halts too. The driver's door of the Chevy opens and Puck makes his way out, looking impatient.

"What?" He demands through Santana's open window.

"It's getting too hot for Rachel, we need to take shelter!" Santana explains.

"And what will happen us when we have to leave in the dark of night, when it is most dangerous?"

"Please let's just stop for an hour," I ask. "We can take shelter under those trees where it's shady, we can all rest and eat, we'll be safe once we all stay together and stay beside the vehicles."

"Fine!" He hisses. He walks back to his car and we climb out of ours. Once I open Rachel's door, she shields her face with her hands as though she can't bear the brightness of the sun. "No," she cries. "Too hot!"

"It's okay Rach," I soothe "We'll get you out of the sun."

We walk under the cool shade of the trees where there are rocks big enough for us to sit down on. The relief in Rachel's face is instant. "What's that in her arm?" Kurt shouts as the others come over to join us.

"It's the cure," Santana explains. "Well we think it is."

"It's so blue!" Blaine exclaims as they come to sit near us but still at a slight distance. The adults and Puck with Beth on his shoulders, however, completely keep their distance and choose rocks about a hundred meters away.

"Gosh it's warm," Kurt points out as Puck begins to take cans of food from his bag, eyeing Rachel all the time.

"Here Noah, let me open them," Carol offers, taking a knife and can from Puck and tries to cut the lid off. I turn my attention back to Rachel,who is sitting beside me silently, she has stopped groaning, I'm glad to see her a bit more relaxed.

"Crap!" Carol shouts, drawing my eyes back over in her direction. A shade of red blood runs down her hand and the knife that has fallen to the ground is stained with the same color.

There is a sudden growling beside me which turns into a hiss, I turn my head around to find the horrifying sight of Rachel, in complete zombie mode. her eyes are burning with thirst and her teeth are bared, ready to attack.

"No!" I scream but it's too late, Rachel has already started in the direction of Carol. "Rachel! Stop!" I shout, chasing after her. I hear Beth wailing in terror as Rachel begins to growl hungrily. Carol's eyes fill with fear. I jump, catching hold of her ankles and we both hit the dirt ground below us with a thud.

Rachel's head whips around to face me and she gives me a vicious growl. "Let go!" She screams, trying to claw her way out of my grasp. "I need it!"

"No Rachel!" I say sternly. "This is not you! You are not a monster!"

"I'll get the gun," Puck shouts ina panicked but bitter tone. Rachel begins to kick her legs to free herself, I have to use all my energy to hold on tighter to her.

"No!" I cry at him. "Rachel! Stop please! For me!"

Her eyes lock on mine and her face falls. "Quinn," she croaks.

"That's it Rachel, just come back to me," I pant breathlessly. She sits up and stops trying to escape, I let out a breath of relief and release her, so I can brush the dirt out of my hair and off my face which is covered in the dry mud.

"I told you! I told you she was dangerous!" Puck shouts angrily, clenching his gun. "We need to kill her, before she attacks one of us Quinn."

"Puck, she's under control now," Santana replies in my defence as she stands beside an unsure Carol. "Everything's fine."

"Will everything be fine when she bites one of us in our sleep Santana?" Puck shouts. "I can't have her around, she's too much of a threat! This group is not staying around her, Shelby did not give me Beth just so she could be killed! I'm taking her away from this monster!"

"That's not fair!" protests Santana who is proceeding to wrapping up Carol's cut hand in bandage. "Shelby left Beth to you and Quinn! You can't split this group up."

"Oh really?" Puck rolls his eyes. "I'm not splitting the group, those who want to be fools can stay behind with the zombie because they are only putting the group in danger by staying, and if I recall correctly Quinn never wanted to be a mother and she sure hasn't tried to be one either."

I narrow my eyes at him, how could he say that? After all we had been through, but I guess he's right, I've had the chance to bond with Beth and I didn't take it, but that's probably because I only see Beth as Shelby's daughter now. I can never be half as good a mother to Beth as Shelby was. It would be an insult to Shelby if I began to mother that child now.

"Sstop!" The sudden faint voice makes me jump. "don't fight!"

Everybody fixes their attention to Rachel. "You can't sep-ar-ate, I'm sssorry! Me, leave."

"No," I whisper, before turning back to the others. "Please, let her stay! Look she's improving, she hasn't spoken that many words before now."

"Look at her arm!" Santana shouts, and I look back to my girlfriend again to see what Santana is pointing out. Rachel's whole arm, from the tips of her fingers right across to the centre of her chest is all blue, it's not as bright now but this can only mean one thing, I think I understand what Rachel was trying to say back in the car, the cure is spreading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys, sorry for the break in updating, I was in Scotland and then I was sick for a while too, Thanks for the continued support and feedback, I really appreciate it. Let me know what you think of this chapter, hopefully the next one will be up in a few days, although I can't make any promises. Anyway, enjoy.**

* * *

"I don't care what you say Quinn! She's dangerous! Why is that so hard for you to see?"

Puck is still refusing to allow Rachel to come with us. He's furious with me and I'm just as frustrated with him. How can he be so narrow minded? Rachel is not a zombie, she's just lost most of her humanity and she's getting better.

"Puck! Would you please just look at her?"  
"No Quinn, you look at her! How would you like to wake up and find everybody dead or changed because you let her stay with us? She is a monster by nature now, I don't care what you think about this so-called cure. I shouldn't have let you bring her this far, and I'm not letting her come any further with us, and if you want to stay with her, then do, but I never thought you'd be that stupid!"

Anger is building rapidly in my throat and I'm ready to let all hell loose from my mouth at him but Santana steps in. "Puck, leave, the heats getting to you, get ready to leave again, we can't stay here much longer."

"We're not bringing the zombie Santana!"  
"She's not a zombie! And she has a name, you ass!" I shout back.

"Puck! Just go!" Santana snaps before changing her tone. She speaks to me with a solemn, low voice."Quinn, we need to talk."

I look at her with suspicious eyes, I know this tone, something is up. "You want to leave her behind too? Santana! You said you'd help me, you'd help her!"

"No Quinn, that's not it," She mumbles.  
"Then what?"  
"Rachel is," she pauses to breathe, "gone."

"What?" I ask. "Gone where? Tell her to come back. We have to leave now Santana!"  
"No Quinn, I mean she's gone away, she left us," she shakes her head. "When you two were fighting, she began to head towards the trees. I caught up after her but she told me she had to leave, she didn't want to stay here anymore. She told me not to look for her. She said she couldn't take this anymore, she was really miserable."

"You're lying!" I hiss.  
"Q, when have I lied to you? You have to believe me, I tried to hold on to her, and make her stay, but she pushed me away, onto the ground, that's why I'm covered in mud! She took off, and she was so fast Quinn, I just couldn't catch her."

I hear Santana's words, but it takes some minutes for them to actually make sense. I can't understand any of this. I know that Santana would never lie to me but this is just not right.

"No, why would she just leave? This doesn't make any sense! I'm going after her!" I pant.  
"Quinn!" Santana shouts, alarmed but I'm already running past the countless trees, screaming out my girlfriend's name.

I feel my heart rate increasing as my feet hit the earthen ground below heavily with each hastened step I take through the dense wood. "Rachel! Where are you? We have to leave!"

"Quinn!" I hear a voice shout.  
"Rachel?" I cry back, I keep running trying in the direction of the voice.  
"Quinn come back to us!" The voice calls clearer this time, my face falls realizing it's not Rachel. I look behind and I see the others catching up on me. I quicken my pace, they want to take me out of here and leave Rachel behind, I can't let them do that. I need to find her.

I run and I don't stop, but neither do the group chasing me. I'm running so fast that everything around me is a blur, but where is Rachel? This wood isn't that big.

Suddenly, I see something in the distance. A figure.

"Rachel!" I shout. The figure turns towards me and all I can make out are her alarmed black eyes. She scrambles away and further into the trees.  
"Rachel no!" I scream, continuing to run. I'm tired and almost out of breath but I'm so determined not to stop. Without warning, something catches my leg, and I fall to the ground face first.

Some hard, cold and sharp object hits me in the temple, making everything blurry. All I can do is look down at my right foot which has gotten caught up in some branch. My head is pounding from the hit and I can't find it in me to move out of place. The cries behind me are getting louder, I try to struggle free but I can't. I keep calling out her name with whatever breath I have left until everything fades away, and I am left in cold and lonely darkness.

* * *

"Ssh! She's waking up!"

I can't help but let out a groan as I regain consciousness. I reach my hand up to my forehead, to feel something cold and wet bound tightly around my head.

"Quinn?" somebody stammers nervously. I open my eyes to see Kurt above me.  
"Santana," I croak. "Where's Santana?"

"I'm here Quinn," She calls back as she appears before me. "How's your head?"  
"Santana, what happened?" I ask, wincing from the throbbing pain in my forehead. I know Santana will tell me the plain,straight truth. "Where is Rachel?"  
She sighs sadly. "You fell and hit your head on a rock. It was bleeding really badly. You passed out."  
"Santana, I want to know where she is!"  
"Quinn, I'm sorry, we couldn't find her, I tried waking you up but it was getting late. You've been out for almost four hours."

"Where are we now?" I demand.  
"I'm not really sure, it's some type of old house, but it's really small and creepy, we're not sure how far away we are from the border, we were driving for about two hours when we said we should pull in for the night, especially because you were unconscious."

"Two hours? Santana, I have to go back! I have to find her!"  
"Quinn," she whispers, she grabs me firmly by the shoulder. "You can't. Rachel could be anywhere by now, plus it's getting dark, it's too dangerous out there. We left the other car behind, we figured it was faster with just one, you can't take the truck or we'll all be stuck here."

"No this isn't fair!" I cry angrily. "I need to find her!"  
"Quinn, please, this is what Rachel wanted, she left on her own will, I'm sure she did it to protect you, she couldn't stay around us forever, she moves at different times to us, she can't tolerate the heat and her diet is not the same, it was only logical that she left but I am she wants you to keep going," Santana whispers quietly in my ear, I can see that the other bystanders,Puck, Kurt, Blaine and Brittany are all looking at me anxiously.

I bury my head in her shoulder and let my endless tears soak the shoulder of her shirt. "No, no, I can't keep going! Not without Rachel. Santana, I can't lose her again."

"It'll be ok Quinn," she sighs. "In time."  
I try to compose myself, I must look so pathetic, crying while they look on with pity. "I need some space," I state in a bitter tone.  
"Come on guys, let's give her a few minutes," Blaine says to the others. I feel Santana watching me with regard.  
"Santana, come on," Blaine beckons as the five of them leave the room, closing the door gently behind them.

I feel, even for just a minute, that I can breathe. I need this space to try to make sense of all this, though I'm fully aware that the others are probably standing right outside the door. Shaking, I stand up, the wooden floorboards creak beneath my feet. The room is dark and the only light source is some candles which stand on a small table beside the falling apart sofa which I was lying on. The one window in the room has been boarded up with rotting planks of wood with small cracks in between and the whole room carries a damp and rotting stench. This place is really falling apart.

How could Rachel leave us? Everything was going so well, we were going to get her to Canada and then that one small incident with Carol happened. That must have been it. Santana said she was miserable as she left, that she was desperate to get away from us. But couldn't she understand that the cure was spreading? That she was getting better?

I feel worse now than I did before she found us. I took a risk by deciding not to kill her, it just happened to turn out for the better, well at first.

_I watched her sleeping peacefully, taking large heavy breaths. The bleeding had stopped and the fall of drops was replaced by my tears. My Rachel was slipping away from me, I only had moments before she woke up as a zombie but my grip on the gun was slipping. How could I put a bullet through something so perfect? How could I take all this away from the world? Rachel could never be a monster, no matter how much of the virus filled her body. She was my Rachel, she would never be anything but perfect._

_ From the beginning, I believed if humans could create this virus they could surely destroy it. There was a cure out there somewhere, whether it was in progress or complete. If there was, Rachel could be cured as a zombie but if I shot Rachel then, that was it. The end. No return, no chance of living again. I had to take the risk. I admit it was selfish but I couldn't give up on her, not yet, even as she lay like this, the virus running through her veins. The promise I had made to her was just one I couldn't keep. I put the gun back in my pocket and I placed a kiss on her lips. I left her there, as she slept peacefully and perfectly, like an angel._

I made the decision on Rachel's life that day and when she showed up it seemed like the right decision, but from what Santana told me about Rachel's departure, maybe I was wrong. I never wanted Rachel to be unhappy. Making her live like this, in between humanity and darkness, to have to live and feed like other zombies but still have some human conscience. Only now do i realize how awful that must be. Rachel has to live like that and it's all my fault.

I stare out a crack in the wooden boards, in the darkness I can just about make out one lonely, flowerless wilting rosebush being hit by gusts of wind on the front lawn, it shows no signs of petals or color. I can't stop looking at it, and that's when it occurs to me, I am just like that rosebush, miserable, cold and alone.


	7. Chapter 7

I am startled awake by an alarming sound outside. I get off the sofa which I was allowed sleep on and follow the noise to the window, trying to be as quiet as I can so I won't wake Santana and Brittany. The sky outside is still dark, it must be about 5 am. My sleep was restless, I kept waking up, hoping Rachel would be by my side.

"It has gas!" I hear a foreign voice shout from below The window. I look closer out the crack between the boards to find a wide crack in the window glass. I stare out, still dazed by my tiredness and see two shadowy figures on the dead grass below, standing at the Chevy.

" There might be people inside, shouldn't we go see?" A female voice replies to the man who just spoke.

"are you crazy? We were lucky to get out alive last time, let's just take the truck and go!"

"But the others," the woman says.

"We have to leave them behind, they're too slow. Just get in the vehicle!"

I watch the taller figure, the male, force the door open and order the woman to get in before it strikes me, this is bad. "Shit," I curse and force myself away from the window.

"Santana! Brittany!" I hiss. Neithe rof them stir. So I repeat their names, this time in a deafening roar. "Santana, Brittany! There's people outside trying to steal our car!"  
"Quinn, what you talking about?" Santana mumbles.  
"Ugh!" I groan, running out the door into the small and dark hallway, calling angrily for Puck. "Puck! There's people outside!"

Puck,luckily, is quick to respond. He runs out of his room, slamming the door against the wall. He is shirtless but he has a gun in either hand.

"Zombies?"  
"No people, they're trying to steal the Chevy," I reply. His face fills with anger. "Move!" He orders as he darts towards the front door, in a panic. He grabs the pieces of furniture pushed up and against it and thrashing them out of his way until he can get out the door. But it is too late, I hear the engine revving outside. "Fuck!" Puck roars. He runs out and I follow after, the cold morning air hits my face unexpectedly. The jeep is already driving off on the broken and empty country road.

Puck curses again and takes his shotgun in two hands, dropping the hand gun to the ground. "What are you doing?" I shriek.

"Warning shots," he hisses, suddenly pulling the trigger.

"What's happening?" Santana asks as she and Brittany appear behind us. "Hey, that's our Chevy!"

Puck shoots again, this time hitting the tyre. "Puck!" I shout. The vehicle in the distance swerves uncontrollably on the punctured tyre until it shrieks to a halt.  
"Fuck," He curses angrily. "I was aiming for the window!"  
I raise a concerned eyebrow at him, does he mean he tried to kill the people inside? The doors of the truck fly open and two grey hooded figures jump out and flee from the damaged Chevy. I watch Puck raise his gun.

"Puck! Don't!" I hiss.  
"They stole our fucking vehicle!" he lowers the gun as the two people disappear into the darkness. "Now we're going to have to walk! And we're in the fucking middle of nowhere!"

"Look we'll just have to figure this out some other way," Santana yawns. I can tell she is still half asleep because otherwise she would be furious about the matter in hand. "Just let them go."  
"Fine we'll let them go, but if I ever see those two people again, I'm going to fucking murder them!"  
"Oh stop being so cranky," Santana rolls her eyes. "You really going to kill people with Beth around? What a great example. Let#s go back inside, it#s fucking freezing."  
"No, "Puck snarls, "We're leaving now! It's going to take hours to get to the border on foot, best start now. Wake up the others and grab all your belongings, we leave in fifteen."  
Brittany and Santana groan and lead me back inside. Puck remains outside, pacing furiously around the dead lawn.  
"Well this is just great," Santana mumbles before calling everybody to consciousness. "Hey everybody! Get up and get your things we're moving out in fifteen minutes!"

* * *

Before we know it, we're on the road again. However this time we must carry ourselves. We've passed the now-useless Chevy, as there was no spare tyre to replace the one punctured by Puck's bullet, and left the small, rotting wooden house behind us. I'm not happy about moving on but I never wanted to be here in the first place. Rachel might never find me now and I will never be able to find her. How am I supposed to just leave her while I supposedly start a new life across the border? She could be in serious danger for all I know.

There's nine of us, an odd number. Everybody has somebody, Santana has two people, her mom and Brittany, I noticed how close the two girls were yesterday evening, how they were trying so hard not to show affection but they slept so close to each other last night. It won't be long now before they announce their relationship, I guarantee it. They'll be holding hands by this evening. Of course, I am the odd one out, again. I am the one with nobody to look after and nobody's number one priority. What sentimental value do I have to this group? A few high school memories? If it get's to the point where somebody has to be left behind , it's pretty obvious who it's going to be. I'd be much happier if they left me in that woods, so I could find Rachel or die alone trying. But I can't even go back because I have no idea where we are or how we got here.

The only surroundings of the broken road are dead trees. The empty and silent morning sky is a horrible grey colour. Everything around me is dull and dark, but even if the sun was shining in a bright blue sky filled with the sweetest of bird songs and green trees stood side by side around us, it would still be dull and dark for me. How is it that I can never hold on to anybody that means something to me?

We've already stopped to eat breakfast. We just sat down on the grey road and handed out the same crappy canned food with an unidentifiable flavour and texture. The food has begun to make me nauseous from eating so much of reminds us at every mealtime the importance of keeping our strength up, but I really don't know what the point is anymore. Reaching Canada isn't going to make me happy anymore.

However it's all the others are talking about it. They seem to think that everything will be over once we cross that line. That the whole virus will just be a thing in the past. Kurt and Blaine's optimism has me on edge, and not the first time.  
"Maybe we can have that house we planned before," Kurt is whispering to Blaine excitedly, " A huge library with a grand piano in the middle! It will be so great."

And then, I snap. "Shut the fuck up Hummel! Is there something wrong with you? Look around you! You think everything is going to be fucking amazing once we cross that narrow line of land? Am I the only one with a realistic brain around here? The virus is still going to be here, any survivors are going to be turned, all those people we've left behind are going to remain zombies until they are killed! Getting over the border only solves your problems, what about theirs? Why are you so stupid?"

The two boyfriends freeze, looking at me in astonishment. Kurt's face begins to crumple like he's going to cry. I sigh and roll my eyes, I should feel bad but I have my own problems. There is so much anger and emotion built up in me that I need to release it.

"Quinn!" Brittany breathes. I see that everybody's staring at me, absolutely bewildered.  
"No it's fine," Blaine whispers, hugging his boyfriend closer. "We're sorry."  
I walk away and step into line with Santana, hoping she'll be a bit more understanding.  
"Bit harsh Fabray," She whispers. "What made you snap like that?"  
"You know I can't stand that optimism!"

"None of us can Quinn, but if it's the only thing that keeps them going, we have to learn to live with that, just like you were Rachel's reason to keep going. Look I know how you're feeling, you think that life is pretty pointless right now and I probably would too, but don't ruin for them, hope is all they have left. Blaine has no idea about his family and Kurt lost his Dad, the others have their own problems too. Look, you can talk to me if you need to, I'm here for you Q, just don't take it out on the rest of them please?"  
I sigh, knowing she's right. "When did you become such a good counsellor Lopez?"  
She smiles at the corner of her mouth. "Come on, you can just walk beside me until you calm down."

I continue to walk, feeling Carol's cold stare on me as she hugs her step son comfortingly. I make a mental note to apologise later on, at least Santana kind of understood.

"hey, it's a town!" Brittany exclaims, I follow her pointed finger to the near distance, where there are rows of buildings, mostly houses but beyond that, there are tall buildings indicating that Brittany was right, it is a town , all sealed off behind low, climbable fences. There's no sign of life anywhere, but it's a town all the same.

"The border is not too far from here," Puck explains. "See that Beth? That means we're almost there!"

"and then we'll see Mommy?" The child asks innocently.

"We're going to try , Sweetheart,' Puck whispers back but I know that's a promise he will try to keep.

As we draw nearer the fences, the horrible stench of death hits us, worse than ever before. I wonder what horrors we're going to see behind that fence. I have to cover my nose and mouth with my sleeve, those around me are coughing but soon see what I'm doing and copy. Puck takes Beth in his arm and covers her nose with his sleeve as we finally approach the metal gates, which are battered from being climbed and look like they are ready to fall apart. We notice that some fences over to the side have even been broken inwards by people trying to get into they own, so we don't even have to climb.

"Come on, let's go," Puck says, "get your guns ready, although I doubt there's many zombies around, I'm sure the authorities had them all killed to stop them blocking up the border."

We walk over the screened fences to the right leading us onto a road bordered by two rows of identical two story and once yellow-painted houses. Those windows not boarded up have been smashed and some doors have even been ripped off hinges. There is no sign of any form of life around or any vehicles either, they must have all been driven to or over the border. The residents here were lucky, they were probably the first to escape. They're probably all living safely we all their loved ones and relatives across the border.

The border, it just hits me what if it's all a myth, that this whole journey was for jogging, for me it's already pointless without Rachel, but looking around me, at the despair and hurt filling the others eyes, I hope it's just as they hope. I haven't even made my mind up if I'm going to cross it yet, I don't want to start any life without Rachel yet but I've decided that I want to see my friends get there safely. I can just leave them like bidding farewell to relations at the airport. And then I'll some how try to trace Rachel. I won't tell the others this until we get there though.

We find ourselves on a deserted street with ransacked stores, recognise from the signs above their doors and a large , grand building with the words "Town Hall" carved into the wall. Some of the stores have been boarded up while those remaining have simply been ransacked. We must be on the Main Street.

"Creepy," Brittany whispers.

"Hey do you hear that?" Santana asks suddenly.

"hear what?" I ask, listening out for sounds.

"dont make a sound," she whispers, fear suddenly filling her face and as silence comes over us, I hear what she's talking about, I can hear muffled groans and growls coming from several buildings. There's zombies inside, and several of them.

"Maribel, take Beth," Puck says calmly, passing the child into Santana's mother's arms. He takes his shot gun in his hands, ready to kill. I watch Santana imitate and she bears that face again, the one she bears just before she's about to murder a zombie. This sensation that she find sin killing just takes her away from everything, I can't understand it.

"Get ready," Puck whispers, starting to walk again. "Remember to only shoot when necessary, use your knives."

We continue to walk through the filthy, dust filled street and slowly, groaning figures begin to emerge. One after the other, continuosly, until there are about fifty of them staring at us, just as in shock as we are.

"Shit," Blaine whispers. "I don't we'll be using knives Puck."

* * *

**Sorry for the short chapter but I haven't much time to write and I wanted to give you guys something. Next chapter will be published asap.**


	8. Chapter 8

There's so many of them, all of different sizes and ages, elders, adults , kids. Many are missing limbs and some have had all their flesh either eaten or rotted away, but they all have that same hungry look in their eye. Not one of them will turn away from fresh meat. Either we have to make the first move or they will.

"Run," Puck hisses. Brittany catches my eye and glance at each other with uncertainty for just a split second before we take off with the others, what choice do we have?

Zombies continue to emerge from buildings as we pass, they're beginning to close in on us. They must gave come here looking to eat those trying to pass through and I have no doubt that some of them are the people that tried to pass through here.

The group unexpectedly freeze, causing me to run into Santana.

"what's-" I begin but my eyes give me the answer, we've reached a dead end. Ahead of us is a huge crowd of them advancing on us, while the zombies we've passed are closing in from behind.

"Oh my god," Santana shrieks, "where's Brittany?"

I gasp and look around, she's gone. This doesn't make sense, she was here two minutes ago.

"Brittany!" Santana screams and Puck begins to fire his gun at the growling creatures around us.

"I'm over here San!" Brittany calls back her voice coming from my right hand side. There's a small and narrow alley way, leading onto another street or road. "Come on it's safe!"

"Go!" Puck hisses. "Quickly! I'll keep shooting until everybody is safe."

"I'll help you," I offer. Since I am not rushing to the border, it's only right that they are all safe.

I take out my gun and shoot, Santana who is still waiting for the others to get through the alley , helps too. Zombies fall down, causing others to trip over them but they don't stop coming towards us.

"Santana, come on!" Blaine calls, but Santana keeps shooting, killing five in a row.

" Go Santana!" Puck orders as we keep shooting. There's more of them than I thought, I must have killed twenty by now, but I feel so uneasy. What if they're just like Rachel, misunderstood?

Some of them seem to have begun to retreat , I've never seen this before, but some still continue to lurk towards us. I pull my trigger to shoot an advancing zombie but it doesn't fire.

"shit," I shout in panic. "Puck I'm out of ammo!"

"Me too!" He says, "just hold them off with your knife!"

I take Rachel's knife from my pocket and uncover it. I hear a squeal from beside me as Puck stabs a zombie right through the forehead. I copy, quickly pulling my knife back out to kill the next. It's about ten versus two, we have to act quickly.

"Shit!" Puck yells, I glance over, he has fallen to the ground. Zombies are coming closer, their hands clawing for his flesh. This is bad, I have to help him but I am too busy fighting other zombies.

"Puck!" I cry in a panic, I don't know what to do.

"Quinn just get out of here!" He cries, I can hear the fear in his voice. There is a sudden flash of red and suddenly, a zombie with long untamed hair is crouched before him, hissing, with her back turned towards me but I recognise her instantly. I am breathless and terrified.

"Mine!" A dark and low hiss escape the zombies mouth, sending chills up my spine. The other zombies understand. They begin to back away, their faces filled with anger and disappointment.

Puck looks back at me , genuinely terrified. And that's when her colourless eyes meet mine. Her expressionless face is covered with streaks of red and black blood. She opens her mouth, so as if to speak.

"Quinn," she breathes.

"You left me," I stammer.

She shakes her head. "We have to get out of here," I am surprised at how fluently she speaks, her stammer is gone, her voice is almost recognisable except for the hiss at the end of each sentence. "now!"

She leads us down the alley way which the others have passed through and onto a smaller, deserted road where the others are waiting for us, Santana is holding Brittany, crying into her shoulder.

"Santana, they're here," Brittany whispers.

"you guys are okay ?" I ask, counting to make sure they're all here.

"Yeah, Rachel pulled me into that alley, she saved us," Brittany explains, Rachel looks to the ground.

"Thank you Rachel," Puck breathes, but his words are sincere. "And I'm sorry for everything. I want you to come with us to the border, I'll help make it clear to the guards what happened to you. Please come with us?"

"okay," she whispers,her eyes fixed on me.

"Let's rest for a few minutes, I need time to reload the guns and recover," puck whispers.

I walk away from the group, trying to take in what has happened.

"Quinn I'm sorry," Rachel whispers behind me.

"you told Santana you didn't want to be with us anymore, is that true?"

"To protect you Quinn, didn't want you to chase me," she replies.

"your stammer is gone," I point out.

"look," she whispers, taking off her jacket and revealing her pale and translucent skin. All her veins in both arms are now a bright blue , the cure has spread again. "spread to my legs too, I'm faster now."

"How did you get here and why?"

"I wanted to make sure you were safe. This town, its dangerous. The zombies are different, they can think, and understand. I think it's because they together, have to communicate."

"Rachel," I whisper excitedly. "please, stay with me, you can't leave us again, not now, we're so close."

"I'm not human," she replies sadly. "Am still a zombie Quinn."

I look at her face and remember what's staining it, "Rachel, did you kill somebody?"

She looks away, shame washes over her face. "Not a person."

"An animal?"

She nods. "I'm sorry , my head, it hurts bad. Only stops when I eat. That's why I had to leave."

"it's okay," I reassure her, "you need to eat Rachel, we'll be at the border soon, we'll get you proper help Rachel!"

I embrace her in a tight hug, I'm so afraid to let her out of my reach again,

" But Quinn, look at me, look at what I am, I don't even know who I am anymore."

" You're Rachel, my Rachel, and this is my fault. I know but Rachel I couldn't kill you and I'm sorry you've had to live like this but I promise that we will make you better, and I'm not giving up on this promise Rachel , because I want you to be beside me always do you understand me?"

She nods but I don't really believe, usually that would have brought a smile to her face, anytime I spoke about us she would smile this dazzling smile. I don't think she understands the extent of my love for her anymore.

"We just need to get to the border Rachel."

"Border is dangerous," Rachel announces, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Zombies are there, all hungry. You can't pass, unless you have protection."

"Protection?" Maribel questions.

"Puck," Rachel calls," come with me, others stay here. You too Quinn!"

I open my mouth to protest but she looks at me with those dark, empty eyes and I drop my argument. Puck follows her doubtfully and she leads him towards the alley through which we escaped the havoc of Main Street.

I'm getting fidgety just watching her walking away because I'm not ready to let her go again, even if she's supposedly coming back.

"So you found her," Santana whispers into my ear.

"No," I argue. "She found us and saved my ass, again." I really need to be a better girlfriend, I owe her so much at this stage.

"That's what Rachel does best, she saves people," Santana sighs.

The other two come back into sight , this time they're not alone. Pucks face is wrinkled in disgust as he carries something over his shoulder. A body and it smells even before he puts it down on the ground before us. There is a perfect and hollow hole straight through his head from where the bullet went through. He was one of the few zombies that had all limbs and some flesh left on his face,

"What's this?" Kurt asks on behalf of us all.

"We have to smear his guts on to us," puck announces.

"Excuse me?" Santana demands.

"to cover your scent, zombies at border won't attack you, can't tell you're human," Rachel explains.

"Come on let's just get it over with," Puck says, "Maribel cover Beth's eyes." He pulls out a knife and hacks into the zombies, revealing blood and guts.

"Ugh," somebody groans at the sight. Puck reaches into the dissected torso and begins to smear some of the black blood onto his arms and face. I want to get it over with so I do the same, Rachel thinks this is what we need to do then I trust her. It smells disgusting and I've never wanted a shower more in my life but this is going to keep us safe. The others slowly crouch down around the bod. And begin to cover themselves.

"Its just like face paint Beth," puck tells the squirming four year old. "We' 're dressing up see? We'll wash it off as soon as we can."

"Blaine, it's horrible!" Kurt squeals, wincing as he rubs it onto his neck. " I feel so disgusting."

"Its okay Kurt, you still look cute to me," Blaine replies, causing Santana and I to simultaneously roll our eyes.

I cover up every visible patch of skin that I can but I can't reach my back. Everybody else has someone to do it for them.

"I'll help you," Rachel whispers sweetly. I feel her cold,soft hands slowly rub the grunge down my neck and onto to my upper back. It's so comforting to feel her touch again.

"Now," she whispers. "You smell disgusting."

"thanks," I stifle a giggle.

"let's go," Puck announces, holding out his loaded shot gun.

"don't shoot," Rachel tells him. "Unless you have to. It will give you away."

Puck nods solemnly and proceeds to getting us out of this town, we must look terrifying all covered in organs and black gunge But we're so close to the border and now that I have Rachel again I have reason to cross it.

Santana and Brittany walk in front of me, I watch as Brittany slowly takes the other's hand, and Santana then squeezes hers in return Before placing a sweet, soft kiss on her left cheek. I sigh, it was only a matter of time.

"I'm sorry I left," Rachel suddenly appears beside me. "I didn't want to, but I had to."

"I understand, thank you Rachel."

"For what?"

I smile at the obliviousness. "For everything, for saving us, for protecting us, for putting up with me."

"I missed you," she whispers. "I didn't want to follow you, but I needed you safe."

"and I missed you Rachel, more than you'll ever know."

* * *

After three hours of walking without stopping, we can see it in the distance first, behind the original border made up of turnpikes, it's a concrete fortress, about a hundred feet tall and secured with sharp wire. It's just screaming "secure life inside".

I can feel the relief already beginning to kick in around me. "Can you hear that?" Blaine asks, "birds!"

He's right, there's birds singing and flying just beyond those walls. We just need to get there, but it seems like we're not the only ones with aims to get inside those walls, gathered Behind some clickable metal fences are hundreds of zombies, the most I've ever seen. There groans can be heard from where we stand.

All we have to do is walk past them, just like Rachel said we could, and we're there. I'm so overwhelmed , I don't know what to say or do or feel. this whole journey is almost over and I have the only person I have ever truly loved by my side, who knows what awaits us beyond that fortress but with Rachel there, it will be paradise.


	9. Chapter 9

We're walking so slowly and so silently through this large crowd of zombies. I'm trying so hard not to twitch or run, I am so scared. I need Rachel by my side but she says it's too obvious if we were all together, we needed to separate. I'm passing zombies, pretending to be one of them, but I can feel them staring at me. I try to look around me for Rachel with out being too suspicious. I end up walking straight into a zombies back, the zombies fleshless and eyeless face whips around and hisses at me. I gulp, trying to hold back a scream and continue to stagger towards to the metal fences before us.

I am almost there, I see Puck scrambling over the screened fences with Beth, Maribel and Carol on the other side. I put my head down again and continue to walk and keep telling myself that I'm almost there, I just need to control myself for another minute.

Suddenly something touches me. I almost jump before there is a hand at my face. "Ssh," Rachel whispers. "Almost there. Keep head down."

We reach the low metal fence, there are zombies clawing at it so we have to be quick. "Go," Rachel tells me. I grab onto the fence and begin to climb it quickly, quickly jumping down onto the zombie free side, Santana Kurt and Blaine have beaten me to getting there first. Santana hugs me tightly but there's fear on her face, I'm guessing it's because Brittany hasn't reached us yet. I keep my eyes fixed on Rachel who seems to be having trouble climbing. I approach the fence to assist her, "I got it," she insists in a harsh whisper. She tries again and finds her way up the screen successfully until she is on the other side with the rest of us.

"Where's Brittany?" Blaine asks.

"She's there," Santana points to the nervous Blonde who is in the process of reaching the fence but now the zombies are so busy clawing at it, I don't know how she's going to climb. "I'm going to help her out!"

Santana grabs her gun and puts out three zombies in seconds, giving Brittany room to climb up and over. She meets Santana's arms before her feet even touch the ground. I watch Brittany take the gun from Santana's hands, "I don't want you doing that anymore, we're safe now right? We just need to get inside those huge walls."

"This is it," Kurt squeals excitedly.

We simultaneously look behind us to stare at the huge concrete walls towering above us only 50 metres away. Rachel suddenly clasps onto my hand, she's trembling.

"Are you ok?"  
"I'm scared," She whispers. "They won't understand me."  
"They will, I promise," I tell her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

As we get nearer the huge steel barred gates, I wonder how on earth they managed to build a fortress this big. And if this is really it, our journey's end? Once we pass through here, what happens to the world left outside?

"Halt!" A voice shouts from above. "Don't move!"

I freeze trying to figure out where the voice is coming from. Five soldiers run out from the large gate, each carrying heavy guns. The large gate slams close behind them.

A young female soldier wearing a different jacket to the rest, steps forward. "Name yourselves, how many of you there are and where have you travelled from."

"My name is Noah Puckerman, I was in the United Stats Airforce, ma'am, there's ten of us , we've travelled from New York to Ohio to here."

"Why on earth would you travel through Ohio? I can't even believe that this many of you survived! Airforce? We could use you if you're willing to help, but it won't get you any privileges, everybody inside here is equal. My name is Commander Maritza Jackson, I'm head of the military forces inside this compound. "

"Compound?" I question.

"If you've heard about Canada being virus free you're wrong, it did spread, but we managed to shut it out. We have more land than we need, we have built our own country in here, we have hospitals, schools and farms. There's more than half a million of us with capacity for much more but there are more zombies beyond the compound."

"So can we enter?" Santana asks.

"You need to go through medical inspection first, but before you enter I have to make sure none of you have been bitten, I'm afraid it's the end of the road for anybody who has been."

I tense up. "Holy shit, you brought a zombie with you?" Jackson cries, holding up a gun. "What is wrong with you. and what's more, what's wrong with her? Why isn't she attacking?"

"Commander Jackson, please, let me explain!" I cry.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Quinn Fabray, and this is Rachel Berry, she's no ordinary zombie Ma'am, she can talk and think and understand us, she's harmless and she's improving. Rachel,show her."

"I was attacked, "Rachel speaks, the Commander's eyes widen with shock, the soldiers behind her raise their guns. "By a scientist, he injected me with what he said was a cure, then I got bitten."

"Please don't shoot her, she's not a monster, she can help you find a cure. Please Commander!"

"A cure?" The commander seems interested but the soldiers behind her are in disbelief, they keep their guns in position.

"Yes, it was some scientist at the Science Research Centre in Ohio who injected this cure, and it's spreading," I reply, Rachel shows her the illuminating blue beneath her skin.

"We're bringing her for tests," The commander declares to her soldiers. "Open the gates."

"Tests?" I demand.

"Don't worry Miss Fabray, I promise no harm will come to your girlfriend," She whispers subtly into my ear, I look at her as if to question how she knows. "The rest of you will go through standard medical checks, Miss Fabray if you wish you can escort Rachel to the science department."

She leads us through the large, open gate, revealing what seems like a country. There are makeshift buildings of all sizes, large wide open spaces and people, just like us, except clean and happy, going about their business. It's beyond incredible. "We have had to implicate many rules, you will all be briefed on them in time. Now Lieutenant Jefferson?"

A young male soldier steps forward. "Yes Commander?"

"I want you to bring all of these travellers straight to medical inspection, make sure they shower first. You know the drill. New guests, this is just a procedure, please don't be worried, it's a basic checkup on your health. You will have hot showers first and be provided with a meal afterwards before we sort out your accomodation. I'm going to borrow Miss Fabray and Miss Berry, they will be returned to you as soon as possible."

"Thank you," Puck whispers greatfully, the others beaming at the prospect of decent food and hot showers. "We really appreciate it."

"We're happy to accept any survivors as long as they are healthy and willing to co-operate with everyone in here," She replies. "Quinn, will you come with me please?"

Santana looks at me as I leave, she looks worried but I'm sure we'll be fine. This place looks so safe, so humane, everything that I thought had been lost by the human race is here.

"I need two soldiers to escort Rachel," Jackson orders.

"She's not dangerous!" I protest.  
"It's okay Quinn I know, it's for defence, the security down at the science department is really strict, I don't want them to shoot at her," Jackson reassures me in a soft voice as she leads me to some white building with a long corridor, "I promise you Quinn, no harm will come to you or her. I want to help you."

"Why are you doing this for me?" I ask.

"Because I had a girlfriend, we broke up a while before I went to Afghanistan and I thought she had forgotten about me but she rang me, telling me there was no hope left for her, she was changing into a zombie, so if there is a cure , I want to help find it, I want to find her and heal her, just like you want to heal your girlfriend."

"How did you know she's my girlfriend?"

"Oh please, the way you look at her, it's so obvious," she smiles, I follow her down a long flight of steps, at the end is a screen door, locked from the inside which if open, leads into a large dark wing. A soldier stands on the other side, "Commander?"

"I need to get through immediately Soldier, do you know where Doctor Smith is?"

"She's just gone on lunch," the soldier replies.

"Well call her immediately, it's urgent," Jackson insists. "Let us through."

The guard takes a look at Rachel before opening the door, allowing us to pass through. "And tell her we've gone to the labs!"

"The labs?" I ask anxiously.

"We have scientists there working on a cure," Jackson explains as we stop outside a room labelled 201, there are guards lined along the corridor all with guns. "Relax they won't hurt her, not under my watch. Here, we need to put on safe suits before we enter the room." She hands me two blue coveralls and masks, one for Rachel and one for me. I slip the mask over my face first then offer to help Rachel but she insists on doing it herself.

She waits until everybody is dressed before pushes open the large heavy door, leading into a large laboratory with computers and technology I've never seen before and refrigerators full of colourful liquids in vials and bottles of different shapes.

Two women, both in white coats stand inside, typing on different computers. "Doctors," Jackson clears her throat. They stand up immediately. "Maritza?" They're the first people I've heard address her by her first name.

"This is Rachel, I think you'll be very interested in her."

"Maritza! It's a zombie!" One of the doctors say, backing away. "Why isn't she restrained?"

"Maritza?" Another voice asks, bustling in the door. A short, red haired scientist appears, looking kind of pissed off.

"Taylor, just in time, Quinn, Rachel, this is Doctor Taylor Smith, I think she can help you. Taylor you have to listen to this!"

Jackson allows us to explain Rachel's story to the scientists. Terror begins to sink in as I speak, there's three scientists staring at Rachel with intrigue, what if they take her away from me? Or they put her through some horrible type of treatment with electrocution or something, maybe I've made the wrong choice!

"Ohio Research Centre?" asks with concern, "Are you sure?"  
"Told you you'd be interested," Jackson replies. I raise an eyebrow at them. "Taylor used to work there."  
"You did?" I ask. "Do you think you'll be able to help her?"

"Maybe," the doctor replies, inspecting Rachel with a close eye. "Rachel do you remember the doctor's name?"

"Whitherstone," she mumbles miserably keeping her eyes towards the ground, I can tell it still brings bad memories.

"That creepy bastard," Smith spits. "I'm so sorry that he did this to you, we were partners, but still, I can't believe he was able to develop our work into this. Rachel, you can help us immensely and I'll do my best to speed up the process of the cure okay? But we're going to have run some tests."

"What type of tests?" I demand.

"Blood tests, x-rays, stuff like that, it's going to take a while," Smith explains.

"Well I'm not leaving," I tell her.

"Quinn I'm afraid you're going to have to, this procedure will take a long time," Dr Smith informs me. "There are strict rules about how we maintain the labs."

"No!" I stamp my foot like a child. "I can't leave her!" I look to Jackson for help.

"I'm sorry Quinn, we have to obey the rules," She apologises. "Look I promise Rachel will be fine here, I have so much faith in Taylor, everything will be okay."

"No please!" I beg. "I said I wouldn't leave her again."

Jackson shakes her head, "Quinn, that's the rule, look by the time you're through medical and admitted into the compound , Rachel will probably be finished."

"Go Quinn," A voice croaks, I turn around to face her.  
"Rachel?"  
"Go!" She urges.  
"Rachel, I'll be waiting for you," I promise," I'll see you soon! Everything will be okay!" But it's me who needs convincing. I need to know that I can trust these strangers with Rachel espeicially with the delicate state she's in.

"Come on Quinn, I'll escort you," Jckson offers, taking me by the wrist, I glance back nervously at Rachel who is sitting on the examination table. My heart is racing, I regret bringing her here already. The door is opened and I'm being led out of the room. "Rachel!" I whisper, not taking my eyes off her expressionless face. Jackson squeezes my arm as she closes the door behind us. "She's going to be fine Quinn, come on, let's introduce you to your new life"


	10. Chapter 10

As Jackson walks me out of the science building, I can't help but feel anxious. "Don't worry, they'll take care of her," Jackson smiles. "It's crazy, ever since we came here, people are different, they're purer, more human. Everybody just co-exists, everybody here has had a similiar experience to everyone else. We're all more understanding now. Unfortunately, some people do have different opinions. Some people just want to build a future here, forget about the outside world. Not me and certainly not any of our scientists here, we have quiet a few, I just thrust Smith a lot so I brought Rachel to her. We all want to heal the world left outside, none of the attmepts have been successful but your Rachel can change that."

"How did you build this place up so quickly? All these buildings, the technology?"

"Well, it didn't begin like this, we've been building it up since we got here and continue to everyday. You wouldn't believe the mix of professions we have here, so many contractors and constructors, doctors, anything you could think of, we started with metal fences and it turned into this, wooden huts turned into concrete and brick buildings, it's pretty amazing what people can do if they just co-operate, some of our forces go on salvaging trips to try find anything we can bring back here to make life a little bit easier, all it takes is co-operation."

"I used to take trips like that," I say. "Usually it was just to get some fresh air. So how does someone so young get such a high title? Everybody here is at your command."

"Like I said we see everybody as equal, we do believe in respect though, well honestly I was just a lieutenant in Afghanistan, I came home on leave after I was injured in battle to find this, most of the army had been called up to try fight this virus, not many people were left. A few of us who hadn't been called up formed the compound, I had one the highest ranks out of everybody left. Security and safety is the main priority here, I know you've seen a lot of guns but there only for security purposes, only used by the army, civillians are forbidden to carry them inside the compound."

"So what happens to the weapons people bring here?"

"They're given to the army," Jackson replies. "Each civillian has the right to keep one weapon each but they are stored away in secure lockers and can only be accessed if the civilian is leaving the compound for good or as part of the military force. Maybe you could consider joining us Quinn, you obviously have a lot of strength if you got this far."

"I appreciate the offer Commander but my main priority now is taking care off Rachel," I reply.  
"Call me Maritza, please, that's okay, I understand, come through here, take a shower then one of the doctors will give you a check up."

She leads me into a smaller building and through the first door on the right into a tiled, steamy room with three stalls fitted with a white, grubby shower curtain. It doesn't smell great and it doesn't look particularly clean but none of that matters to me.

"Thank you," I whisper, before now I would probably have been too proud to shower here but now this seems like heaven. I just want to feel that warm water run down on my skin.

"Go ahead there's soap in each of the stalls, I'll wait for you outside, you'll have to be quick though, usually the warm water only lasts for three minutes," She tells me. "Oh and here's a towel."

She throws me a worn but clean white towel which she has retrieved from a small cupboard near the door. I thank her again before finally getting to come in contact with the steaming hot water that one of the shower stalls provides.

As promised the commander is waiting for me outside when I'm finished, "I was just contacted by one of the lietenants in Admission, your friends have been admitted, congratulations, I can make sure you don't have to go through the same process, once you're through check up I'll escourt you straight through to your accomodation."

"Do you have cell phones here? Is that how you stay in contact?"  
"No, unfortunately not, but we have radios and walkie talkies, hundreds of them actually."

"Radios? Have you been able to contact people outside?"  
"Yes," Her face falls, "we contacted people in Michigan some time through the radio in our helicopter, e sent out the helicopter to rescue them but it hasn't come back, we completely lost contact with it, we don't know what happened, wee're not even sure if it got there or not."

"So they weren't lying," I mumbling.

"What?"

"We met those people,, we stayed with them but I wanted to leave after a few days when there was no sign of any helicopter. They stayed behind with a few of our own."

"I'm sorry," She replies.  
"No, it's not your fault,"

"It obviously didn't reach them so, do you think your friends are still okay?"  
"I doubt it," I admit. "There was a huge horde heading their way."  
"Oh," She swallows. "We've lost some soldiers to hordes, it's always been so horrible but they expect me to be strong all the time, it's like I'm not allowed to have emotions now that I have the responsibility of keeping this compound and everybody in it secure. Anyway, we better get you to the doctor."

She leads me through another door into what looks exactly like any doctor's office I've been in before, this place never fails to impress me.

A female doctor beckons me over, telling me to strip to my underwear so she inspect my whole body, she checks for bites, infections, lice and anything else which I won't have. She gives me one last look up and down before motioning for me to leave with her hand, I put my clothes back on and return to Maritza. " I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of checking your things while you're in the shower, " She tells me. "I had to take your gun and ammo as well as that knife, you can keep the food though, seeing as you don't have much left."

"Please, you can't let anyone take that knife, it's Rachel's, I promised I'd return it to her, you can take the gun, I don't care, just save the knife."  
"Okay, I'll set it aside," She replies and I trust that she is sincere. She glances at me, and looks me up and down.

"Your clothes are pretty dirty, we can get you new ones," She offers.

"I don't care," I shrug."All that matters now is Rachel. Do you think they're almost finished?"

"I don't know," She replies,"Let's find your friends first."

* * *

"Quinn, you're here," Santana exclaims with relief. "But where's?"  
"She's in a labratory," I whisper gravely. "There's a scientist, who worked in Ohio, she thinks she can help her."  
"Oh," Santana whispers I can tell by her expression that she's concerned. "But look at this place. we left a room free for you and Rachel when she gets back. Let me show you."  
"I'll leave you to it," Jackson clears her throat.  
"What about Rachel?"  
"I'll find you when it's time," She replies before slipping out of the door of the concrete building.

"It's quite the place here," Santana comments. "There's so many people and places to go, there's a library, schools, stores and factories. We have to get jobs but that's only fair after all we've been given. They gave us tow houses since they didn't have one big enough for all of us. Puck, Kurt and Blaine are in the house opposite us, Carol and my mom are taking a nap in the room opposite yours, and Brittany is taking a nap in ours."

"So you guys are back together?"  
"Unofficially," She replies, leading me down the corridor, without commenting further. "This is it." She opens the door to the room where I will live for God knows how long, it consists of two separate bed and a falling apart closet.

"It's basic but it's comfy, there's a toilet and shower block for men and one for women just outside, we've got everything we need."

"Everything except Rachel," I sigh.  
"She's going to be okay right?" Santana whispers, her eyes filled with fear. "Can we trust this scientist? Why didn't you stay with her?"

"I wanted to," I explain. "They wouldn't let me. I guess we just have to trust them, it's the only choice we've got." I don't even want to think that Rachel could go through what she's been through before. I can understand where Santana 's fear has come from and now it has spread to me.

"Oh God, what have I done? How could I be so stupid, she must be terrified!" I shriek. "Santana! We've got to get her out of there!"  
"Quinn, calm down, you know that's not a good idea, have you seen the amount of soldiers around, you really want to try fight them?" Santana whispers, taking my by the arm. "Look we brought some food back for you, eat and go take a rest, it will all be over before we know it right?"

I nod, I need a rest, I need time to pass by quick enough so that I can just open my eyes and Rachel will be waiting for me and we can live peacefully and I can watch over her every minute of every day for as long as she needs me.

"I'm going to sleep," I tell Santana.  
"You want some food first, honestly Quinn, it's so good, compared to what we've been eating, I think there's even some meat in there," She informs me, I smile faintly but refuse the offer.  
"No thanks San, I just need to sleep," I whisper before leaving her in her own company so I can try to rest my mind and body. I can't remember the last time I got a decent sleep, I wake up from nightmares a lot and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night because I remember I'm actually stuck in a real life nightmare, I haven't exactly had the most comfortable bedding either. Here though, I have an actual mattress! And a pillow and cotton blanket, how were we so fortunate to find this place?

I lazily kick off my worn shoes and immediately rest my head on the soft pillow. I close my eyes and pray for some solace.

"Quinn! Quinn!"  
"Rachel?" I yawn.  
"Quinn, wake up," the voice hisses. I open my eyes slowly.  
"Santana, what are you doing?"  
"The commander is outside, she says you need to go with her now!"  
"What?" I exclaim, adrenaline begins to pump through me as I jump from the bed, grabbing my shoes. "How long was I asleep?"  
"Hours Quinn, you must have been really exhausted, you missed dinner, it's like 3 a.m," She yawns, her messy hair and puffy eyes tells me she has just been disturbed from her sleep.

"I need to go, I'll talk to you later," I pant, hurrying out the door to the front room of the house where Maritza stands, waiting.

"Maritza, is it Rachel?"  
She nods sincerely, but doesn't tell me anything, it spends a shiver down my spine. "Let's go Quinn."  
I'm too nervous to ask questions, fearing the answer will not be a desirable one, so I walk in silence as I follow her outside where the small vehicle, like a golf cart, which we used to get here is parked.  
"Get in," She tells me, starting it up. I'm feeling nauseous, something is wrong, I know it is. I'll wait until I get there before I ask questions, if I get too hysterical they might not let me see her, so I just bite my lip and try to protect myself from the cold winds of the night for the twenty minute journey.

We stop at the white Science building and Maritza hops out, silently, motioning for me to follow. Now I decide to ask.

"Maritza, what's wrong?" I demand. "You have to tell me what I need to prepare for? Is something wrong with the cure? Did it not work? Is she dead?"

I swallow nervously on the last question, Maritza leads me down the flight of stairs, ordering the guard on the gate to open it immediately, before answering. "No, she's not, it's not that bad, just wait until we're there, ok?"

She leads down the corridor, which seems even more daunting than it did before and knocks impatiently on the door of the laboratory I left Rachel in. I wonder if she's furious with me for leaving her here, maybe that's the reason Maritza isn't saying anything, surely I can't get Rachel to forgive me, in time.

"Oh Maritza you're here," I hear Dr. Smith say. "Is Quinn here?"  
"She's here," Maritza replies, she doesn't open the door wide enough for me to look inside. Instead, Smith steps outside the door, shutting it behind her.

"What's happening?" I demand. "Tell me, straight out. Did it not work?"  
"No, it did," Smith replies. "Well,"

"Well what?" I snap.  
"Quinn, Rachel is fully healed, I was able to accelerate the progress of the cure but it has affected her."  
"In what way?"

"It has affected her memory, it has wiped out maybe the past two or three years, she doesn't remember anything about the virus, she still thinks she's in high school. She's looking for her parents, her dads I believe? She's quite hysterical, she thinks she's in a mental institution at the moment, I don't know how this happened, it might just be temporary, maybe by you talking to her, her memory will come back. But she needs to be calmed first."

"Let me see her!" I demand, the last thing I want her to be is terrified. Her memory can't be that bad , can it? But if what Smith is saying is true, that means she remembers nothing about us.

"Okay," Smith replies, opening the door, before it's even opened fully, I can hear her scream. "Please! Get me out of here! I'm not sick! Please, were's my dad's?"  
"Rachel, there's somebody here to see you, somebody that you know."

She opens the door wide enough so I can see inside, so I can see her, just as she was before, her beautiful tinted skin glowing and those gleaming, mezmerizing brown eyes glistening, and even though they are red and wet from crying, they are the definition of beauty.

I can't help but smile, but her reaction is not what I had hoped for. She frown, curling up like she's trying to edge away from me.  
"Quinn," She whispers in an unfriendly tone. "What are you doing here?"

Her voice is cold, unwelcoming, like I am an unwanted guest, and then I realize why, in her memory, I am still that bitch who teased and tormented her.  
"Rachel," I say, approaching her slowly. "Do you know where you are?"

She shakes her head. "Is this an asylum? I'm not sick."

"No, it's more of a hospital, you had a virus, they made you better, don't you remember anything?"

She shakes her head. I move closer to her, I reach my hand out to caress her soft face. She immediately jerks away, looking at me profoundly. "Quinn what the hell are you doing? Get away from me! Why are you here? Where is he? He should be here, not you!"

"Where's who?" I ask, confused.  
"Finn."

* * *

**Hi guys, sorry for the late update, I've just had writer's block so excuse the quality of this chapter, I wanted to update it and I wasn't even sure what to write. I ope it's okay, maybe I'll change it a bit in a few days but I'll let people know in an A/N if I do. Thanks again for all the reviews, I really appreciate them. Also, in case you haven't notice, I don't Beta any of my stories, I'll check back on this particular chapter for mistakes later after I've gotten some well needed sleep. Goodnight.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Rachel," I swallow. "You've lost some of your memory."

"What do you mean?" She panic. "How much? Quinn, where is he? Where is everyone else? Kurt, Mercedes?"

I feel like I've been stabbed straight through my heart. She doesn't remember anything about us, at all. In her mind, we're not even friends.  
"Quinn, tell me what's going on?" She suddenly demands, grabbing on to my wrist so tightly that it feels like it could snap.  
"Quinn be careful," Smith warns. "She's much stronger than she used to be, it seems to be an after effect of what she was injected with."  
"What is she talking about? Why won't anybody tell me what's going?" Rachel snaps.  
"Rachel, please let go of my wrist," I gasp, the pain is excrutiating.  
"You'll tell me?"  
"Yes," I nod. "Just please, let go."

She let's go of my wrist, and looks up at me impatiently, waiting for an answer.  
"What's the last thing you remember?""  
"We just won Nationals," She replies. "We were in Chicago."

I freeze, I can't even remember back that far, I really didn't expect her to be this bad.  
"Oh God," She cries. "Did I faint on stage? Carmen Tibideaux was watching!"  
"No Rachel," I whisper. "That was over two years ago."  
"What?" Her face is blank.  
"Like I said, you've lost some of your memory."

"Then where are we?" She demands, although she doesn't seemed convinced.  
"We're in Canada Rachel, there's a virus, it started two months ago, it's spread all over the states. We're in a kind of camp, we're safe from everything."  
She raises an eyebrow at me. "Don't fuck with me Quinn."

"Rachel, I promise I'm not," I reply sincerely. "You were bitten but they cured you, that's why you're here in the laboratory. It's complicated I know and I'll explain more to you later, but I swear to you I'm not lying."

She shakes her head, as though she's considered that I'm telling the truth. "This can't be happening. It's impossible."

"I wish it was," I mumble.  
"I have pictures, if you want to see them," Smith offers."  
"I don't think she's ready see them yet," I tell her.

"And who are you to decide?" Rachel hisses. "Show me, prove that this is real."

I sigh, I know she's going to freak out, but the doctor loads a picture of her, still in her zombie phase onto her screen. "Oh my god," She whimpers. "You weren't lying, unless this is some sort of photoshop? Oh my god, I look hideous. But why on earth am I wearing a Cheerios uniform? What happened to me?"

"It's a long story," I whisper, causing her to turn her attention back to me.

"Tell me now, where is he? Where's Finn, and my dads? Quinn Fabray, you tell me right now"

I feel the hot tears prick up in my eyes, I want to hold them back but they can't. I don't know what to tell her, why does she have to go through all of this again?

"They're dead aren't they?" She whispers, her face begins to crumple. I turn away simply because I can't see her like this, I bury my face in my hands. I thought it would all be over once we reached this place, but Rachel doesn't even like me as a person.

"No!" Rachel wails, "This can't be happening, this is some sort of sick, twisted dream. No, no! I refuse to believe this! This all just a nightmare! How did I even end up with you Quinn? Are you telling me we're friends all of a sudden? "

"Can I bring her back to the houses?" I ask Jackson, in a faint whisper. "To see the others? It might help refresh her memory."  
"There's other's here?" Rachel sniffs, I hoped that would distract her.

"Taylor?"  
"Sure," Smith replies. "I don't see why not, she can get some sleep but I need her sent back over in the morning."

"Come on then, let's go," Maritza says tiredly.  
"Rachel, will you come?" I ask, she nods weakly, and follows me to the door, I wish I could console her, even put her arm around her but I know that she doesn't want that, she doesn't want me, well her senior year self doesn't.

"Don't worry Quinn, I'm sure it's just a temporary thing," Smith tries to reassure me as I leave, but she doesn't seems very sure herself.

Maritza leads us back outside to the car, Rachel looks around us, trying to take this whole place in, it can't be easy, seeing yourself stuck inside these high concrete walls.

"What is this place?" Rachel asks.  
"If you could remember what life was like outside, you'd be pretty impressed," Maritza replies smugly.

Rachel shivers beside me, I'm trying so hard right now not to hug her or kiss her. I just want her in my arms. I wish she could remember everything so I could show all these emotions that I'm trying to conceal, I'm so happy and excited, she's safe and healthy again, but she doesn't understand places a palm to her hand before running the hand through her hair in distress.

"What's wrong?"  
"This is too surreal, this can't be happening, I know you say I've lost my memory, but to go from Nationals to this, I just can't cope, this has to be a dream, I saw Finn, like an hour ago."

"I wish you could remember," I mumble. How can I tell her that we're together when she's mourning the loss of Finn and her parents?

She continues to cry in to her sleeve until Maritza parks the car outside the small concrete building I am fortunate enough to call home. "Get some sleep Quinn," Maritza whispers. "I'm sure everything will be fine, you get tomorrow off but then we're going to have to assign all of you work. Somebody will call for Rachel in the morning, just to check on her progress but Smith's convinced she can help them finish this cure but we'll need her memory back first.

"Are they going to operate on her or something?" I ask nervously.  
"No, just some scans, that's about it, don't worry she's better now, I'll make sure nothing threatens her health," Maritza replies before starting up the car again. "Goodnight."

"Wait! Where's she going? Where are we?" Rachel demands.  
"This our home for the time being," I explain.  
"Who's us?" She asks, "I want to know who has survived."  
"Well Santana, Brittany, Carol and Maribel are here in this house and just across from us is Kurt, Blaine, Puck and Beth."

"Kurt's here? And Blaine? But that's not very many at all! Is everybody else dead? All of Glee Club?"  
"Rachel, we've been graduated two years , we haven't exactly been in contact with everyone, we don't know if some of them are dead or not," I reply. "We really should get inside."

I open the door where Santana is waiting. "Oh my gosh!" She exclaims. "it's actually her! Rachel!" She runs over and hugs hers, Rachel's face is filled with concern.

"What's wrong with her?" Santana reacts.  
"She's lost some of her memory, the last thing she remembers is Nationals," I explain.  
"Oh shit."  
"Yeah," I agree.

"I can't believe I don't remember my own graduation! And NYADA, did I get in? Wait, am I friends with you guys now? How did this happen, I never thought we'd speak after high school," She mumbles.  
Santana snorts and I respond by throwing her a glare. "I guess you could say closer than friends," Santana replies.  
"What do you mean?" Rachel asks suspiciously.  
"You and Santana were room mates in New York," I say quickly before Santana can say anything more.  
"Are you serious?" Rachel raises an eyebrow. "But why were you in New York? Wait, does that mean I got in?"  
"Yes you did, but honestly we have bigger things to deal with now."

"This is crazy, I have so many questions!"  
"Well you should get some sleep first," I interject. "We can answer them all in the morning. You're sleeping in there with me."

"Oh," she replies, unimpressed and I assume that's because of me. Her eyes are finally dry but still red and puffy, she really looks like she needs the sleep. "Well I am tired so maybe I'll be able to make some sense out of this in the morning or maybe it will all just go away."

"Goodnight," Santana smiles sweetly but I stay silent as I watch her disappear into the darkness of our room, I feel hurt and alone. Santana turns to face me but before she can say anything, I'm crying.

"Oh Quinn, don't cry, it's just memory loss!"  
"But she doesn't remember that I love her, or that she loves me, and I can't go on without her by my side , we've come too far!"  
"I'm sure everything will be ok, you made her fall in love with you before, I'm sure you can do it again."

"Santana she just found out her parents and fiance are dead! She's also still a high school student mentally. How am I supposed to tell her that we're a couple all of a sudden, she doesn't even think we're friends, I can't upset her anymore!"

"Okay," Santana whispers. "Look Quinn, we'll work something out. Maybe her memory will come back, that shit happens in the movies all the time!"  
"The movies," I snort. "They're movies for a reason."  
"Yes but we saw zombie apocalypse movies hundreds of times Q and we never thought they'd happen, but here we are! For the moment, all we can do is be happy that she's still alive, that she's human again."

"You're right," I whisper, the fact that Rachel is still with us is a miracle, I should be content enough with that, but I'm not. "I'll deal with it tomorrow."

Santana wraps her arms around me. "Everything will be okay Q."

I pull back and wish her goodnight before I enter the room I'm sharing with Rachel, who is already asleep, turned towards the wall. I had so many plans for us for our first night back together as a proper couple, but all the love I have for her, now has to kept hidden.


	12. Chapter 12

I wake early the next morning, exhausted despite the few hours of sleep I've gotten. Rachel is still asleep in the bed beside me, gently snoring, like she always does when she's been crying. I just want her to wake up and enlighten me with her smile and kiss me good morning. I want to stroke that beautiful brown hair and have her tell me that everything will be okay so that I can get through another day.

"Ugh."

She begins to stir in her bed and I realize I should look away before she notices that I'm staring. I stand up and make my bed as she rolls over and looks at me through tired eyes.  
"Oh shit," she curses in realization, "I'm still here, this is happening."

"Unfortunately," I sigh. "You're memory hasn't come back yet by any chance?"

"No," she hisses defensively, as if I have offended her. She hastily gets out of her bed and leaves the room.

"Rachel!" A voice cries outside, it's Carol. "Oh my god!"  
"Oh Carol! Kurt! Blaine!" She cries. "I'm so glad you're here!"

I chase after her so I can explain the situation to them. They are stand there with faces filled with joy and tears, with Kurt embracing Rachel warmly. "Good morning Quinn," Carol says, "How come you didn't tell us she was back?"

"Well it was 3 a.m, but there's also a complication," I inform them.

"What do you mean?"

"She doesn't remember anything that's happened since Nationals," I reply.  
"Nationals?" Kurt's eyes widen. "As in Senior Year?"  
I nod in response.  
"Wow," Kurt whispers.  
"I'm guessing there's a lot of stuff I don't know about then," Rachel mutters.  
"Oh yes," Kurt nods. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Can we do it at a more reasonable hour?" Santana groans, emerging from her room with an excited looking Brittany. The blonde runs straight over to Rachel and hugs her.  
"I knew you'd be okay!" She tells her.

"How are you feeling?" Carol asks.  
"Hungry," Rachel replies.  
"Where can we get food?" I demand, seeing as I missed the introduction to the compound yesterday evening.

"There's these kitchens scattered around the place, they're like cafeterias, we get three meals a day, basic stuff, it's just to make sure that everybody gets the same share." Santana explains, "Breakfast is served from 7 to 8. It's 7 10 now."

"Let's go then," I say, "Rachel needs to get her strength up before Dr. Smith calls for her."

"Fine," Rachel mumbles coldly, I don't understand this attitude towards me, we weren't exactly enemies back at Nationals and she has woken up thinking it is just a day later, why does she hate me all of a sudden?

"Come on," Santana beckons. "I'll show you the way."

We follow to a large grey building which looks like pretty much any other of the large buildings in this compound, this one however is marked with the ID "8a".

"We live in section 8 of the compound," Santana explains to us. "But there's like a hundred other sections, all identical to ours."

The doors are already open, revealing the large kitchen in progress inside. There must be over two hundred people in there, between those sitting down and those collecting bowls of food with their plastic trays. It's all so organised and rule -based, I watch people all follow the same patter- grab a tray, collect a bowl, sit down, eat, return their trays and leave. But there's this look on each and everyone on their faces that warms my heart they look hopeful, despite the visible scars on their faces, the broken bones or the missing limbs. People smile and gently converse over their meals and others help the injured to walk. Outside it was every man for themselves but here, humanity has been restored.

"You okay Quinn?" Santana asks.  
"It's incredible Santana," I whisper.  
"I know, it just feels so safe. You should try the food, it's not so bad, they have huge farms where they grow their own food! Come on, let's go line up."

Our trays are filled with bowls of oatmeal with some type of fruits mixed in and cups of water, I barely remember seeing food so hot that it lets out steam. Santana leads us to some chairs at one of the less occupied long table. I pull out a chair for Rachel, but she ignores it, choosing to sit at the other side of the table beside Brittany. I try to catch her eye to find out what's wrong with her, but she's purposely avoiding me.

Kurt and Blaine join us with Puck an Beth behind them. What really kills me about this place so far is that Beth seems to be one of the youngest people around, at least in this section anyway, there are very few babies and toddlers. There's not even that many children, I guess they were the least immune to the virus. I don't even want to think about how many innocent kids were killed.

"Rachel," Puck greets formally.  
"Puck," She beams, unaware of their recent past.  
"Kurt explained to me about your memory," He says, sitting down.  
"Oh yeah," she whispers before having her eye caught by the little girl sitting a few seats down from her. "Is this really Beth? We really are two years ahead. She's so big, she looks so like-, wait, what happened to Shelby?" She drops her voice so that the four year old can't hear.  
"She got caught behind, in a building with some people," Santana whispers sadly, thinking about her old short term choir teacher. "There was a huge crowd of zombies heading their way."

"Oh," Rachel whispers. "That's terrible. Do you think she's okay?"

Her voice is concerned, but I know if she had her memory back she'd be even more upset.

"I hope so," Puck sighs from down the table.

We continue eating, Rachel tries to catch up on all that she can't remember by talking to Brittany, she doesn't even look at me once. All I want to know is what have one wrong? I know that she didn't want me to be the person she woke up to see and I was the one that had to tell her about Finn and her dads, but t's like I've dne something to offend her personally.

"Good morning," A voice says from behind me, I turn my head to see Maritza in her military uniform behind me. "Dont forget you need to go to your admin building by 5pm to submit your chosen work assignment, if you haven't decided yet the full list of availabilities is there. Rachel, a car from the science department is picking up from your lodging in ten minutes, Quinn I want to talk with you then if that's okay?"

I nod in response, not able to say the word "yes" because she has already moved on before I can open my mouth.  
"Well if we're all finished here," Carol says picking up her tray, "let's go so somebody else can sit down."

We follow her lead, picking up our empty trays and placing them on the designated tables near the exit door. "You know I need something like that to keep me buy, maybe I'll see if they have any work vacancies in the kitchen."

Work assignments, how are we expected to think about so soon? Rachel will barely look at me, I planned on going to the same place as her to watch over her but the last thing I want to do is annoy her by being in her space all the time, as much as I want to be there myself.

I need to talk to her before she leaves for the science department. As we reach the door of our house I watch Rachel go inside, heading towards our room before i turn to Santana. "I need to talk to her Santana, can you give us a minute?"  
"Sure, Carol has gone for a walk with Mom anyway, we'll just join them," She smiles understandingly. I smile gratefully back before entering the house and following the brunette into our bedroom.

"Rachel?" I call out as I open the door, she's making her bed but she's crying about something. "Rachel what's wrong?"

"Stay away from me Quinn!" She warns.  
"Rachel, can I please talk to you?"  
"Don't bother! I know what you're going to say! Do you know how hard this is Quinn? Waking up to find out that it's two years later than you remember, and I'm in some sort of apocalyptic world being turned into some sort of fucking science project? As well as that, I find out m parents are dead and so is my fiance, and worse yet I'm somehow dating you!"  
I freeze in place with my mouth wide open. "How did you know?"  
"I heard you and Santana talking last night!" She hisses. "I don't know how this even happened!I'm not gay Quinn! What sort of person are you? How did you do it Quinn, how did you seduce me, was it when I was grieving Finn's death when he was killed by zombies or whatever or did you wait until after my dads?"

It feels like my heart has been punctured again, I'm finding it hard to breathe, "No Rachel," I shake my head, panting, I walk over to her and look into her eyes so we are merely an inch apart. "Finn died before this even began, he died over a year ago, we started dating a few months later. We got seperated just before the virus, you were in New York and you came all the way to Lima to find me. Rachel please, I love you and somewhere in your mind you love me too, you just have to remember!"

My hand, of it's own accord, wraps itself around her neck and pulls her head to mine so I can lace a kiss on her lips.

She instantly jerks away, crying. "No! I don't love you! Leave me alone Quinn!" She forcefully pushes me, causing me to hit my head painfully off the hard wooden wall.

"Agh!" I cry out in pain, they weren't lying when they said she was strong. She shakes her head before running out of the room, slamming the door. I hear her running outside angrily while a bump is beginning to form on my head. I sigh, I'm annoyed with myself, knowing that I've made things worse than they were. Why did I have to be so selfish, as if she wasn't going through enough already. How could I be so stupid?

"Quinn!" A voice calls.

I groan as the ache in my head begins to throb, "Who is it?" I try to pick myself off the ground so I don't look to pathetic to whoever is calling my name.  
"Quinn?" The voice repeats from outside the door.

"I'm coming," I answer, slowly making my way out of the room. Maritza is standing there waiting.

Her face falls. "Are you okay?"  
"Yeah, I just fell," I reply.  
"Rachel told me you were inside, is everything okay between you two."  
"Not at the moment, but it will be fine," I lie.

"Well I wanted to talk to you about work assignments," She informs me. I raise an eyebrow.  
"I know you said you weren't interested in joining our military forces but I'd really like you to reconsider, you mentioned you've been on these scavenging trips all by yourself, Quinn you have courage and a lot of strength, we need people like you. A lot of people get here and they don't want to be strong anymore, they don't join the force because they want to forget about the world outside. But now that our scientists are close to a cure, we can go out and try to find survivors or find people who have been infected and try to cure them while still finding things to expand our compound and make it more secure. I know it's dangerous outside the compund, but we need someone like you who has had experience living there for longer than any of us."

I look at her, it sounds like a good distraction but also exciting, adrenaline pumping and brave, something I never would have seeked before this whole crisis, and I want to help people aside from my group but even after her flipping out, I still want to watch over Rachel.

"Taylor told me they're keeping Rachel for a while to help them with the cure, they're trying to get her memory back and see what went wrong, they're suggesting she joins the military once they're finished because of her new strength but that's completely her own choice and I thought your friend Noah would join but he seems to very pre-occupied with that little girl. Quinn, we need you in our forces, I know you'll help us so much because I know you want this cure to work as much as I do, you'll still be protecting Rachel this way."

She's right, I'll be out of Rachel's way but I'll still be one of the people making sure this is a safe place for her, and all our friends to live.

"Okay," I whisper, before letting the excited smile flash across my face. "I'll do it, I'll join your forces."

She smiles back. "Welcome aboard soldier."

* * *

By 7pm, I've gotten to learn more about the compound and the people living here, most of them are Canadian or from Michigan. There's hundreds of buildings and thousands of small houses like ours to facilitate everyone living here. Everybody has already chosen their work assignments, Carol and Maribel have found work in the kitchen in section, while Kurt and Blaine have to decide to embrace the agricultural life by working on one of the collective farms where vegetables are grown in makeshift greenhouses. Puck has decided to join construction ,as he will be able to leave Beth at one of the school/library complexes that Santana and Brittany have both found work at.

Who thought that a bunch of college students mostly pursuing degrees in performing arts could get jobs so useful to society? Nobody has exactly taken the news of my work assignment that well, they think I'm being foolish, that I'm putting myself at risk just as we've become safe, but I'm trying not to pay attention, I can take care of myself.

Rachel still hasn't returned yet and it's making me anxious, what will she say? She won't want to share the same house as me, let alone the same room. I've really fucked up.

We've all been sent back to our house to relax and rest before we are introduced to our new jobs tomorrow morning. There's the sound of a vehicle breaking outside and I instantly know what this means. As does Santana, wo has been told a shorter, less detailed version of this morning's event.

"Quinn, all you have to do is apologise," she reminds me. "It's going to be okay."  
"I don't know Santana," I mutter as the door opens slowly. Rachel stands there, her eyes red from crying as they scan across the room before freezing on my own.

"Quinn," the word escapes her mouth in one gentle, quiet whisper. She walks over to me and my heart is racing. I don't want to hear her tell me she doesn't love me again, it hurts too much.

"Quinn," she repeats, this time almost choking on her words as she collapses into my arm crying. "I'm sorry Quinn, I'm sorry."

"Rachel?" I question, stroking her long brown hair in comfort. "What is it?"

"I remember everything."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: I'm sorry I didn't publish write an AN at the end of the last chapter, I know it had been a few days since the last update but I had been really busy, I stayed up until 3 a.m writing the last chapter so in the end I was too tired to write a note. I'm going to have to end this story soon, I'm travelling to Atlanta to visit my cousins and I'll be staying there for the rest of the summer until i have to come home and go back to school, so if I don't finish this soon you guys will be waiting about 10 months until I can update it. Thanks again to everyone for your support so far. Please feel free to review or PM me with your opinions at any time.**

** Also, just in case, DISCLAIMER: I do not own glee or any of it's characters.**

* * *

"Rachel," I whisper, speechless. Is she telling the truth? I'm afraid to let myself get excited in case this is all some sort of dream.  
"I'm sorry Q, you must be so angry with me, I'm sorry, I was such a bitch!" She sobs.  
"No, no, "I whisper into her ear as I hold her tighter, "it's okay, it's not your fault."

"You broke my promise," She whispers.  
"I know, and I'm sorry but Rachel, how I was I supposed to leave you behind?"  
"Quinn I really don't know what to say," She says looking up from my shoulder to face me again. "You saved me, even though you didn't know what you were doing, you put your life at risk, for me."  
"Of course I did," I smile, stroking a long piece pf hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear.

She puts her arms around my neck, and pulls me closer so that she can kiss me. "I love you Quinn."  
A euphoric feeling fills my heart as the words ring in my ear like music. "I love you too," I whisper.

"We're going to give you guys a few moments," Santana announces, in these few moments of perfectness I had completely forgotten that there were other people here. The others leave the communal room, returning to their bedrooms.

"How much do you remember?" I ask Rachel softly. "About being-"

She winces at the memories inside her mind. "Almost everything, but it just all seems like a weird dream, it's like I wasn't really there. It's really horrible Quinn and the doctors tell me I have to tell them everything and I really don't want to, I don't want to remember that part of me."

"Hey it's okay, you don't have to talk about it with me then, it's over, you're back again and that's all that matters, but you're going to be so much help to them, Rachel you can help save the world from this virus," I reassure her.

"I know," She whispers, "Do you think we can really save all those that have already been bitten? I mean Shelby? I want to find her, she's the only family I have left."

I sigh, knowingly. I thought getting to Canada would be a straight ticket to being reunited with my mom and sister who are supposedly in Toronto but now I've been informed that Canada has been infected too.

"Wait Quinn," Rachel gasps. "What happened to your dad?"  
"He chose to stay behind," I answer. "It doesn't matter to me as much as it should, he was never a father to me."

"I'm sorry Q," She says, hugging me again. For the first time, I notice she's actually wearing new, clean clothes she must have been provided with at the doctor's. They're basic clothes, just like the ones we found in the closets here.  
"It's fine really, I just need the time to think about it but I don't want to dwell on it yet. But I do think there's some way to cure everyone, it might be take a while but it will be worth it, although there's such a lack of survivors, some of them must be dying of starvation by now?" I question myself, Rachel shrugs.

"I guess that means we need to be quick," She replies. "Dr. Smith told me the military are going out to treat some of the infected and bring others back here, once they've made some advancements on the cure. That sounds so dangerous."  
I bite my lip and get ready to confess but her eyes widen at my expression. She immediately suspects. "Quinn, what did you do?"  
"Rachel, I didn't think you wanted me around, I wanted to be out of the way and still help everyone!" I protest. "I'm still technically keeping you safe this way."

"By getting yourself killed! Absolutely not, I refuse to let you do this!" She argues. "This all because of the commander isn't it? You guys are friends now! It's completely reckless, and we have just got here-"

I shut her up with a kiss. "Rach, relax, I've gotten this far haven't I? I will be fine and I will come home to you every evening, the same way as I left."

She sighs, not wishing toa rgue any further and rests her head on my shoulder. "So this is home."  
"Yeah," I reply.  
"I can't believe how lucky we are. I shouldn't even be alive. Nothing's ever going to be the same again Quinn, everything we know is gone. It's like I'm still waiting for somebody to wake me up."  
"Well they already did, and you're here now," I tell her. "Change can be good Rachel, it keeps us going, as long what you and I have doesn't change."

"Oh don't worry," She smiles, kissing me on my cheek. "I have no intentions of that happening."

* * *

"Quinn!" Maritza snaps at me, waking me up from another daydream, I'm exhausted from last night, Rachel and I hardly got any sleep due to our excitement of having each other again. "Come on pay attention and load the gun again. Remember people, shoot only if they're on the verge of attacking someone. once we get this cure we're aiming to save as many people as we can!"

I load the shotgun and fire at the moving target dummy again, the plastic bullet going straight through it's head.  
"Great job Quinn," Maritza says, "I knew you were right for this. You've successfully completed every stage of training today and the ones we had lined up for tomorrow. I think that maybe you could skip the rest of training and stay by me, so you get the actual experience. If it doesn't work, I'll send you back here to complete the training."

"Okay," I agree.  
"Come on, I'll get you a proper uniform."

I follow her to the building known as "Militay HQ" just at the other end of the training yard. It's where they keep all the weapons, vehicles and technology such as radios, walkie talkies and the monitors for the cctv cameras set up both outside the walls and around the compound.

She leads me down the corridor of the ground floor until we reach the locker room. Inside, she reaches into a cupboard and pulls out a fresh, khaki uniform and hands it to me.  
"Shoe size?"  
"8," I reply before a pair of brown boots are placed in my arms.

She turns back to me with a satisfied smile. "You can try it on if you want, I can alter it if there's any problem."

I slip it on over the training vest and shorts I've been given. It feels so comfortable and easy to move around in, but it also makes me feels important and brave.

"Wow it fits you perfectly, I'll get you a name tag tomorrow." Maritza smiles. "you know what one of my favourite things about this place is?"  
"What?" I ask, tying my hair up.

"In here, country, age, gender, sexuality and race, those stuff don't matter anymore, everyone is just equal. Almost of the people here are American and almost all the other half are Canadian but it doesn't matter, it's just about keeping everyone safe. When you've been here a while, you'll forget that discrimination was ever a thing."

"So you're in charge of this place?"  
"No," She smiles, shaking her head. "I'm in charge of the military but I get orders from our "president" so to speak, although she doesn't like that title. She's really busy so you don't see her that often , I don't know how she keeps this place running. "

"Commander Jackson!" A muffled voice beckons.  
"Oh!" Maritza jumps, taking the walkie talkie from her pocket. "This is Jackson."  
"Maritza, it's Taylor, we've made advancements, you can begin your expeditions tomorrow, we need maybe ten subjects."

"Copy that, I'll inform my troops," Maritza replies, putting the communication device back in her pocket. "Well that's good news."  
"So it's really beginning," I smile. "The end of it all."

"I hope so," She beams.  
"Commander Jackson!" Her walkie talkie calls again.

"Yes?" Jackson sighs taking the walkie talkie out of her pocket again.

"It's Samuels, I've just been in contact with Evans, they found it, unoccupied they said it's in need of repair ,but they can get it home by tonight along with some more vehicles with some extra help, can we send another troop with a mechanic out to them?"  
"Yes of course!" Jackson replies excitedly. "Contact Wilson immediately, alert the guards on patrol that they are leaving the compound. Contact Evans and ask him to try to locate the whereabouts of the pilots within a one mile radius, we'll continue the search tomorrow."

"Copy that," The voice at the other end replies. Maritza sighs.

"What was that about?" I ask.  
" I sent my second in command out on a mission to try locate the helicopter this morning and it has been found," She replies. "Unoccupied, which means our pilots either did a runner or took a break on the job. Either way, it's safe return is a great help to us."  
"Smith won't hurt those subjects, will she?"  
"No, like I said before I'd only trust Smith with this research, the other scientists might not be so caring. They don't always see them as people like we do. But if this cure works, we can travel all over the country to cure people. Can you imagine it?"

"You want to find your girlfriend?" I ask.

She nods. "You know I've planned this out for a while, I'm going to meet her and make her better again, then once she's better and I've told her how much I love her and I miss, we can hopefully get back together, we can be just like we were in high school, and then I'll leave my post so I can take care of her."  
"That's really sweet, " I smile. "Will you be allowed to do that?"  
"Leave my post? I'm sure I could, there's plenty of people just as eligible for the title as me," she replies, she smiles as she seems to slip off into a happy daydream.

Less than two seconds later, her walkie talkie goes off again. "Wow, "she sighs, "I've never had so many calls in such little time."  
"This is Jackson," She replies into the device.  
"Commander it's Williams on patrol, we have an approacher, a grey hooded female, I think she's injured. Do you want us to handle this?"

"Oh," I gasp at the description. "She might be the one that tried to steal our car."

"No," Jackson replies, "I'll take it, give me three minutes. Come on Quinn, let's show you how things are done. Follow me."

She takes her hand gun from it's holster as we approach the large gates that keep this place secure and concealed. Two guards instantly begin to open them at the site of their commander.

"Thank you soldiers, "She nods as we pass through, out into the open lit by the navy evening sky, where the small, stumbling woman is still approaching the compound.

"Halt!" Maritza cries, just like she told us.

The woman raises her hands, declaring she is unarmed and defenseless. It's the same woman who tried to steal our truck but where's her partner?

"Please, "She breathes heavily. "Please I need help."  
"Are you bitten?" Maritza asks.  
"No," the woman heaves, "I just need food and sleep."

"Can you reveal your face please?" Maritza asks in a soft tone, the woman slowly raises her head and removes her hood, revealing her filthy, scarred and worn out face.

She recognises me before I'm able to see past the dirt and scars, "Quinn!" She exclaims.

"Shelby!" I gasp.


	14. Chapter 14

"Quinn, you know her?" Maritza asks.  
"Yeah," I nod. "Shelby Corcoran, she was with our group but she stayed behind in Michigan. She's Rachel's mother."

"Oh Quinn," She cries, falling into my arms.

"She looks like she's about to collapse, we better get her to a doctor," Maritza replies.  
"She can stay with us right?" I inquire.  
"Well there's two extra room's in the house where Noah is living right? We'll get her through medical now and you can declare who she is in the morning, it's getting late and she clearly needs rest."

"Is everybody here?" Shelby asks, breathlessly, clasping onto my hand. "Is everyone safe?"

"Yes Shelby, "I whisper. "Come on, there's something I need to show you that you won't believe."  
We escourt in side the gates, but she's very weak. "Quinn, I can't walk much further," She whispers.

"That's okay," Maritza says as we stopn outside the admin building, "wait here."  
"Beth," she whispers.

"She's with Puck or Santana and Brittany, she's been so brave," I tell her, making her tired face crack a smile. "Everything is great here, I'll explain it to you later."

Luckily,Maritza comes back wheeling a wheelchair in our direction.

"Shelby you sit down here, Quinn and I will take you for a checkup."

We bring her to one of the doctors' offices where she is examined privately before the doctor calls Maritza and I in. "She's exhausted and dehydrated, but apart from that she's okay, she has nothing contagious, I've given her some water but she'll need sleep as soon as possible and food as soon as she wakes up."

"Thank you Doctor," I reply, helping Shelby back into her chair.  
"I'll go get a car," Maritza tells me as we wheel Shelby to the exit.

"Thank you," Shelby croaks, fighting hard to keep her eyes open.

The journey in the car seems to be difficult for her, I doubt she's gotten to sit this long in a few days. "Shelby," I whisper. "What happened to the others?"

"We ran," She tells me in gasping breaths. "Just before the hoard hit, you were right, it was too big, some stayed behind, but the building was surrounded Your dad and I got lost from the others after a while, but we kept running. He insisted. But just before we got here," She freezes, her eyes begin to water and I know what she's about to say.

"Ssh Shelby, it's okay," I tell her. "Don't think about it."

"He died," she whispers through tears. "It was horrible. Ripped apart."  
So he's actually gone, he doesn't even have the chance to change. And how typical, it was him who tried to steal our truck, to save himself before anyone else, what type of Christian was he?

"We're here," Maritza announces, bringing the car to a stop.  
"Here?" Shelby asks.  
"This is home," I tell her. "This is where I sleep. " I point to the lit up house, and through the windows I can see all the others gathered inside, as if they knew I needed them to assemble. "And the empty one over there is where you'll stay, with Puck and Beth."

She looks and smiles. "Wow," She whispers, her expression is the same as all of ours, how did we get so lucky, to have such a comfortable, secure place to live.

"Come on," I tell her, "You really need to come inside."

"I'll bring some food for her to eat after she gets some sleep," Maritza says once Shelby and I have exited her vehicle. "Quinn, you're coming with me in the morning, we're going to get some of the infected and bring them back here."

"Come on Shelby," I smile. I can't wait to see her be reunited with Rachel and Beth. I knock on the door to the small concrete building, it is swiftly opened by Puck.  
"Quinn," He says, "You're back."

"Quinn?" Rachel calls excitedly from inside, she runs over and jumps into my arms, smothering me with kisses.  
"Wait!" I laugh, trying to make my way in the door. "I have a surprise for all of you."

I look behind me, Puck is standing motionless at the door, already having seen who is standing there.

"Momma!" Beth is the first to cry as she runs in the direction of the door.

I help Shelby step inside and her arrival is met with a gasp, Beth wraps her arms around her distracted mother's leg, whose eyes are fixed on the brunette at my side.

"Shelby," Rachel whispers.  
Shelby reaches out a hand to stroke her face. "But how? How is this possible? Is she really here?"  
"It's a long story," I reply. "I'll explain it to you tomorrow."  
"Oh my god," Shelby whispers, suddenly wrapping her arms Rachel, causing the tears to start flowing. "My daughter."

Watching the two being reunited, as though they have both returned from the dead, is overwhelming for everyone. I look around, noticing that everybody has tears in their eyes too.

"I was afraid I'd never see you again," Rachel whispers to her mother.

Shelby bends down and picks up Beth in her arms, "And Beth, oh my goodness, I just can't believe you're all here, espeicially you Rachel."

"Shelby you really should get some sleep," I advise, afraid she will faint any second.  
"Let me take her," Puck suggests, "She can sleep in the spare room with Beth."

"Thank you Puck," Shelby whispers, giving Rachel a kiss goodnight.

As we watch them leave, I feel Rachel sneak her way into my arm, I look at her, she's crying with happiness.

"So that's who tried to steal our truck," Santana mumbles. "I wish we hadn't shot at them now."  
"I know," I reply. "I'm sure Puck feels the same."

"How was your day?" Santana inquires. "What's it like being in the military?"

"tiring," I reply. "I've been running around all day, the only time I got to sit down was for dinner in HQ, but Maritza says I can go eat with you guys any day I'm not training or busy. How was your work assignment?"  
"Surprisingly interesting," Santana replies. "Brit and I just got to help these little kids learn about math. It's amazing that this place has been created to make the outside world so unknown to the children inside. We also found out we get a type of salary for this, we get food from the farm which you can trade for other goods at any store, there's even an upholstery and jewellery store. It's crazy. This place is better than anything on the outside, well apart from not having our own bathroom but I can live with that."

Blaine and Kurt nod agreeing. I know she's right, we're safe here but with this whole work assignment I barely get to see Rachel.

Tiredness begins to kick in and I find myself longing for my small and creaky but comfortable bed. It must be the training and from what Maritza is saying, tomorrow may be even more tiring. I grab Rachel's hand and pull her with me towards the bedroom.

"Oh jeez," I hear Santana comment, and I know she is rolling her eyes, "Not again, I actually want to sleep tonight if that's okay with you two." The others around her giggle causing Rachel to blush but I just stick out my tongue at them before closing our bedroom door, so it's just the two of us again.

I pull Rachel onto my bed so that we are both sitting. "Quinn," she whispers. "I don't know what to say. You've given me more than I can ever give back. You gave me my life, all of this, my mother."

"You've given me enough Rachel, I've got you and that's all I need."

She snuggles into my arm. "I missed you today, I was helping the doctor and she said that you guys have to go get some people who need to be treated."

I've noticed how she says "people" or "infected" rather than "zombies" since she's been cured, she's not classifying them as a different species and it's probably because she's been there. "You should try get some of the ones living in that town, like I said, they're smart, the cure will work quickly on them, then the town could be cleared up and used as another safe place like here."

"Wow," I whisper impressed. "You should tell that to Jackson."  
"I said it to Taylor already," She replies. "She thought it was a good idea. Do you really have to go outside tomorrow Quinn?"

"Rachel, there's honestly nothing to worry about, think about how many zombies we've avoided just to get this far."  
She frowns with uncertainty. "I just don't want to lose you."  
"You know I'll never leave you," I reassure. "We're going to ge tthe cure out there and before we know it, this country will be infection free."

"Quinn?" She asks tiredly.  
"Yeah?"  
"What are we going to do when all this is over? Where will we go?"  
"You know what I want to do?"  
"What?"  
"I want to go away for a while, go exploring and find some place where it's just the two of us and we can forget about everything, the virus, the horror, the world, we'll just have each other because that's all we need." I know how unrealistic that sounds but it's something I've been dreaming of, ever since we got stuck in McKinley.

"I'd like that," Rachel smiles. "Let's do that."  
"Okay," I smile kissing her forehead.

"You better get some sleep," She kisses my cheek before she moves over to her own bed. "I love you."

"I love you too," I whisper before I place my head on the soft pillow which allows me to drift into peaceful sleep where I can dream about a bright, painless future with Rachel.

* * *

_**A/N : Yes this is a short chapter that doesn't significantly add anything to the plot but my next chapter is going to be set a few weeks later so I said I'd cut this short, thanks again for all your support. Unfortunately the next chapter may be the last or second last followed by an epilogue, I'm so reluctant to end this story!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**_Authors note: just so y'all know this is set three weeks later. This is the second last chapter_**

* * *

"Fabray! To your right!" Maritza shouts at me, I follow her directions and shoot a dart at the zombie's neck.

"Come on troops,I told you this is the day," she encourages the soldiers scattered around the area. "I can feel it! There can't be many more left!"

To date we've cured over one hundred people, but that's not including all those that the helicopter troop have been curing. We've been lucky enough to be assigned to stay here to cure any curable zombies within a five mile radius of the compound, other troops have had to go out right across Michigan, but Maritza was kind enough to let me stay here with her and Rachel.

Life in the compound has become so much better these past three weeks, we've really gotten to know our bearings, and people around the compound ,although with more people coming in everyday and the huge population already present, it's impossible to get to meet everyone. The others who work inside the compound have become experts in trading grain for clothes and other items such as furniture that we don't necessarily need. I have been able to spend all my free time with Rachel, the cure hasn't just changed her from being a zombie, it's done something to her emotions. She's optimistic and positive all the time, the sadness that was always present in the back of her eyes before she was bitten has disappeared. She makes my life so worthwhile and I couldn't be happier.

All the zombies at the gates and in the town outside the compound, that were curable, were cured within a week of Smith's improved cure being developed but many of them had passed the stage of saving, they had organs and limbs missing and they would end up bleeding to their death once injected with the cure. It's horrible knowing you can only save some, although most of the zombies in the town outside the compound were cured, it's probably because they stay safe inside abandoned buildings. Out of all the zombies we saw from the town to reaching the compound, we've probably only saved one tenth of them all together, the cure is amazing but it's just too late for so many people and that really gets to me, I thought we'd save everyone but it's proven impossible.

"Hey soldier watch your back!" The voice beside me shouts in panic.

I quickly spin around, firing another dart. I flash a smile at her and her soft brown eyes light up with relief. "Jeez Quinn you really need to watch where you're going."

"You're way too protective Rachel," I laugh as she comes closer to me. "That's supposed to be my job."  
"You should concentrate on this job, I've only been here a week and I'm already better at it than you," she teases.  
"hey that's totally not true, "I argue, "And it's not a fair match seeing you have super speed and strength because you happened to be injected before you were cured!"

"Fabray! Berry!" Maritza shouts fro my left, "Concentrate!" We bow our heads and try to look like we're patrolling even though there's no zombies left in sight.  
"We're terrible soldiers," Rachel giggles.  
"I was better before you came along," I reply with a smirk.

The vehicles which we use as improvised ambulances come along to carry away those zombies that have been shot in the neck with darts and take them to the huge white tented hospital that has recently been set up in the compound. That means that the day has come to an end. That would mean we have a five mile radius to expand the compound, but it also means that we can shipped out to help troops in eithe rCanada or the rest of Michigan and bordering states. Rachel looks at me with questioning eyes , I shrug in response.

"Okay listen up," Maritza shouts, we look behind to see all the troops gathering around us, "As you can see, all my infantry troops have reassembled and the ambulances have already began to pick up the infected. This is it people, we've cured this area, it is a great asset to us all and we are one step closer to getting rid of this virus for good. We still have far to go and now many of you will have to be assigned to new troops as we prepare to send you out further and join the hundred soldiers already curing people across Michigan and beginning to make there way into surrounding states. Some of you will go further into the USA and others of you will journey into Canada. Remember we will stop at nothing until this disease is no longer."

I feel Rachel's hand clasp around mine, this small victory has a lot of mental value to both of us. We both know that we have only saved a small fraction of people but we may just have saved those who mean as much to other people as Rachel means to me.

"Quinn, Rachel!" Maritza snaps suddenly, catching our attention, "I need the two of you after dinner. Meet me at HQ. This is important."

I bite my lip and look to Rachel, Maritza has been a bit frustrated with me since Rachel joined, which is kind of understandable because I haven't been working as efficiently. But what does this mean? Is she transferring us or worse, seperating us?

Maritza walks away, talking into her walkie talkie. Her face is filled with shock. "Well are you sure it's her Hayley? How long has she been there?" I can tell instantly that she's talking to Evans, the second in command, she's distracted for now but I'm still afraid of what she wants to tell us later on.

"Don't worry Q," Rachel whispers, "It will be fine."

"Let's go home," I squeeze out a smile, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. We begin to follow the rest of the crowd, all eager to get back to their families just like us.

* * *

"Auntie Quinn and Rachel!" Beth squeals as she runs over to us, trying to squeeze us both into a hug.  
"We were beginning to wonder when you'd get home," Shelby smiles. "Come on it's dinner time, you guys must be starving."

"So is it true?" Blaine asks as our group, minus Carol and Maribel, makes our way to the kitchens like we do everyday. "That the area is fully safe?"  
"It is," Rachel beams, reaching up to kiss me on the cheek, "Isn't it great?"  
"We're starting construction tomorrow," Puck informs us. Everything just seems to be going good for us right now, it has to be a good sign for what is to come for Rachel and I. Our sanctuary is expanding and I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by people care about and the love of my life, our group has become so tight in the past three weeks that we're just like a family. I want to protect every single one of them, our bonds are unbreakable. Even Puck has begun to change back to the cocky, friendly guy he used to be in high school. I haven't found my real family yet but maybe I'll be sent to Canada tomorrow so I can find them, but either way things couldn't be going much better considering the world we're living in, or the world we were living in because all of that is changing now.

"So does that mean you girls could be leaving?" Shelby asks worriedly. I look towards Rachel, I don't care if we have to leave as long as I get to stay beside her.

"Maybe," Rachel replies, trying to reassure me with a smile. "But if our journey so far has proved anything, it's that everything works out in the end."

"Come on! Hurry up!" Beth shouts from ten metres ahead of us. "I'm hungry!" We all laugh in unison as our self formed family follows the innocent and enlightening treasure to the kitchen.

* * *

Nervously, we make our way to the large military headquarters, Rachel's hand clenching my own. We see Maritza outside, she's standing straight and confidently with her hair tied up in a neat bun , wearing her cleanest and most important uniform, beside her Sergeant Evans is brushed up the same. I'm guessing they're awaiting somebody but who?

Maritza's eyes meet mine and she drops back to a comfortable posture. "There you two are!" She beams, she looks so much happier than earlier on, it almost makes her look different, younger.  
"Maritza, what's this about? Are you transferring us? Please Maritza I'll go anywhere as long as Rachel's going there too!"  
"No that's not what this is about, I'll talk to you about that later!"  
"That what is this about?"  
"Well you know how I said we have a president of sort?"  
"The one nobody ever sees?"

"Exactly," Maritza replies in an excited whisper. "Well she wants to see you."  
"Me?" I widen my eyes. If this ghost figure is actually real, she must be pretty important and busy, why would she want to see me? "Why?"  
"You'll see in a minute, "She smiles, she knows something that I don't, but she won't let me ask any questions. "Now get into line!"  
I look to my girlfriend who shrugs. We hear a series of footsteps coming from inside the building so instead of questioning further, we hurry into line beside Evans who's shoulders block my view of the people making their way, by running it sounds like, out of the building.

"Quinn!" A voice exclaims. I cock my head to the side, I'm sure I recognise it.  
"Quinnie!" Another voice shouts as two sets of hurried footsteps come towards me.

"No, "I whisper to myself, thinking I've gone crazy until a pair of arms wraps themselves tightly around my shoulder.  
"Francis?" I whisper, looking up to see my older sister, looking tired and stressed and her once-perfect strawberry blond hair tied back in a messy, unkept pony tail and my mother standing behind her. I haven't seen my sister in almost two years, she had a career with some architectural and planning company in Canada and she rarely came home, although that's pretty understandable.

"I can't believe you're alive," She whispers, stroking my face.  
"You're the president?" I am in complete shock, I can't tell if this is a dream or not.  
She smiles, "Please don't call me that,I'm sorry I've been so busy but Maritza mentioned you to me earlier on and I couldn't believe it!"  
"Quinnie?" My mom calls.  
"Mom," I breathe, she slowly walks towards me, taking every part of me in with her eyes. I run into her arms and squeeze her with all my might. I have my family again! I feel hot tears prick up in my eyes. "I missed you so much Mom!"  
"We thought you were dead Q," She whispers, kissing my forehead. "We heard that Ohio was completely torn apart. How did you even get here? Did you travel by yourself? Are you okay?"  
"No Mom,"I whisper, taking Rachel's hand, "We travelled in a group, from Lima. I'm more than okay Mom, this is Rachel, my girlfriend." I take a deep breath and wait for their reactions, Frannie always tried to be a good Christian as a kid, but I always wondered if that was just to impress Dad or the pastor's son. Rachel's hand squeezes on my own.  
"Rachel Berry?" Frannie asks with widened eyes and a broad smile. "You're the girl who found the cure right?"  
"Well sort of," Rachel replies, taken back.  
"Dr Smith told me about you, that's why I called you here too, I just wanted to say thank you, but now I find out you've helped my sister come this far."

Rachel flashes me one of her warm smiles. "No, it was her that brought me this far. She's really incredible." This is all s overwhelming, how have I gon form having nothing to having everything in the space of three weeks?  
"Quinn what did you do to your hair?" Mom points at the choppy locks.  
"I was locked in McKinley High for a month with a group, including Russell," I sigh as I explain, "he kept getting on my nerves so one day when a knife found its way into my hand, I took my anger out on my hair before I could take it out on him."

"Where is your father? Is he here? " Mom whispers anxiously.

I shake my head. "He , umm, didn't make it this far."

They nod understandingly, but none of us want to ruin this moment by grieving for the bastard who betrayed us all in someway or another.

"You're living in section 8 right? Why don't you two come live with us in section One?" Frannie offers.  
Rachel looks at me anxiously awaiting an answer. I can't believe I'm saying this but if I move in with them, I'll never be able to get away with Rachel. As much as I love my family, I can't leave Rachel's side again, she is everything I'll ever need and the keeper of my heart. "I'm sorry Fran but we can't," I reply. "We have our own people and we need to look out for them but we can still see each other everyday right?"

"Of course we can honey," She whispers, hugging me tighter. "I'm just so glad you're alive!"  
"Come visit our group they're all from Lima," I invite.  
"Well that would be lovely, " Mom smiles.

"Wait Quinn!" Maritza calls, "Can I talk to youfor just a minute before you go?"  
"Sure," I swallow nervously, joining her in a dark space away from the others.  
I'm nervous about what she's going to say but her face lights up with content, "Quinn, they found my girl, Danielle, and she actually wants to see me. I have handed in my notice so I can spend time to look after her, even just as a friend, I know you understand that more than some of the others."

I nod, "Wow Maritza, I'm so happy for you."  
"But now that I'm gone, Hayley is taking my place as commander, I want to appoint you second in command."  
"Me? But I've only been here three weeks."  
"I know Quinn but you have a natural ability to be a leader, you don't know it yourself but it's true, you;re more compassionate than any of the others, you'd do a great job. You'll have access to all the vehicles you wish under Evans' consent and you'll get your own house in section one."

I feel's Rachel's eyes on me. "I'm really honored Maritza," I reply. "And as exciting as it sounds, I'm afraid I'll have to decline, I have one main priority and I know you understand that. I hope you'll be just as happy with her as we are."

She smiles and nods, "I do, and thank you for everything. I'm not transferring you or Rachel anywhere, you can both stay here and help patrol the newer areas of the compound. Before we know it, it won't be a compound anymore, we'll have a country again!"

"Thank you," I whisper as she walks away.

"Quinn," Rachel whispers in my ear. "You turned the job down, for me?"  
"Of course, I'd give up anything for you," I smile, placing a kiss on her forehead, "I'm done being a leader, I don't mind taking other people's orders, the only person I need to take care of is you. I have more than I need, I don't need a big house or more security, I have you, our group and now my family. That's enough for me. I still can't believe they're actually here."

"Wow," Rachel breathes. "Quinn I'm so happy for you, they found you!"  
"They were here the whole time and I didn't even know it, I can't believe that this happening," I mumble, looking across at my two family members.  
"Come on let's get you home," Mom says, linking my free arm.


	16. Chapter 16

"Quinn over here!" Rachel calls from the doors of the hospital. I smile happily at her and hurry over with the unconcsious infected child in my arms.  
"Don't worry kid," I whisper into the small red haired child's bloodied ear. "When you wake up, it's all going to be a dream, and we're going to find you somebody who loves you."

"Is there any more on the way?" Rachel asks, holding the door open for me.  
"No, this is the last," I grin placing the small child on the nearest vacant bed of the large white tent. "She can't be older than five, I hope she has a family."  
"Quinn you've reunited nearly everybody you've cured with some sort of relative, I'm sure you'll find somebody for her, you take these things so seriously, I'm proud of you for doing this."

"Everybody should have some love in their lives, especially in these times, after everything that people have been through." I explain, before kissing her nose.  
"I can't believe we have the whole state of Michigan," She exclaims. "And three quarters of Ohio."  
"I know and it's still expanding. With all those troops and the soldiers who flew in from Europe helping to cure the west coast, soon we'll be able to get away Rachel."  
She smiles. "Have you decided where we're going to go?"  
"How about to the coast? You know I hear the Hamptons is lovely at this time of year, and it's not too busy."

"I'd like that," She giggles . "You really think we can leave?"  
"We'll find a way, "I answer. "There's an abandoned world out there, waiting for us to explore it. Just you and me."

She smiles as she kisses my lips.

"You two really need to find somewhere more private to make out," Santana scoffs from behind us, since it's Sunday she's not working so she's kindly volunteered herself to help out at one of the many hospitals for the day.

"Well that's our plan," I smirk.

"Quinn, Rachel!" A voice behind us shouts. It's Maritza, I barely recognise her out of her uniform. We haven't seen her in three weeks, she transferred to medical assistance after she left the military and began working in one of the emergency hospitals on the Canadian side of the compound. Now she wears a blue nurse's dress and her brown hair hangs down past her shoulders in curls instead of being tied back in it's usual neat bun. She looks younger and happier than ever before.

"Wow," She smiles, hugging me. "It's so good to see you!"  
"How have you been?" I asked. "How are things with your girlfriend?"

"Much better than I could have imagined, actually that's why I came to find you two, come on she's just outside!" She beams before running out of the tent, calling for Danielle, we follow. I knew Rachel was hopeful that it was their friend when she heard her name three weeks back, but we both know that's not possible.  
There is a sudden burst of energy from beside me followed by a chorus of squeals of excitement.  
"Rachel!"  
"Dani!"

And it has happened again, another person has risen from the dead. The blonde girl's arms are tightly wrapped around my girlfriend as they both cry with delight.  
"Wow," it's the only word that I can force out. Santana has a bit of explaining to do.  
"She told me that Rachel got her to Ohio," Maritza tells me as the our girlfriends continue to hug. "You've no idea how much she means to me."  
"Oh I think I do," I whisper, my eyes firm on Rachel's beautiful, glowing face.  
"We're leaving, I wanted to come say goodbye, I had to find Evans to see where you two were at, trying to find a soldier these days is harder than what I experienced."  
"You're leaving?" Rachel questions. "When?"  
"Now, we're haven't told many people because it's a special priviledge granted to us by Quinn's sister and Commander Evans for service to the people, we even have our own vehicle so we're going away just the two of us for a while, we'll be back soon, but I know you told me that you guys wanted to get away too, I spoke to Hayley and she said she'll let you leave anytime you want. Now that we've more vehicles and people than ever before, losing two soldiers to vacation isn't all that big a deal, and you guys deserve it," Maritza smiles, putting her arm around Dani.

"Thank you Maritza," I say breathlessly.  
"I'm so happy you're alive Dani," Rachel says, unable to stop crying. "And that Commander Jackson is your girlfriend!"  
"I wouldn't have found her if it wasn't for you guys bringing me as far as you did, I'm so greatful," Dani replies.

"Holy shit," Somebody curses. We turn behind to see Santana emerge from the tent. "It's really you."

"Santana," Dani gasps. The two quickly embrace in a small hug before the latine speaks.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Santana cries.  
"I'm fine!" Dani smiles. "Are you? Are you with Brittany yet?"  
Santana looks to the ground. "Dani I'm sorry, I-"

"Please don't apologize Santana, I was keeping the secret about my feelings for my ex too. I just hope we can be friends."

"Of course," Santana nods, tears gushing down her face.

"Thank you for saving my life San. I know you have Brittany now and I have Maritza, I'm glad things worked out the way they did. I'm so happy to see that you're okay and I know I owe my life to you. I have to leave soon but we can talk more when we get back. I missed you all so much, and I promise I'll come visit when we get back."

"Sure," Santana nods tearfully.  
"Thank you for everything," Dani says sincerely, "all of you."

"We better go," Maritza states. "Thank you both for everything. Rachel, you're like magic, you protected her and you're the reason she was cured. Take care of each other."  
"No thank you," Rachel sniffs as they hug us farewell before beginning their journey away from here. Dani continues to wave at us until they are out of sight.

"Oh they look so happy,"Rachel exclaims to me, linking her arm in mine. "Santana why didn't you tell us she was alive?"  
"I thought you guys would be mad, especially you Rachel, because I know how much you cared about her," she replies, wiping the tears out of her eyes.  
"Do you still love her?" Rachel asks. Oh no, I groan to myself, please not this again.  
"No," Santana sighs. "If I learned anything from these two months is that I'll never love anyone as much as I love Brittany, I wish it hadn't taken me so long for me to wake up and realise that."  
"At least everything turned for the better, everybody found love," Rachel points out." I mean Santana has Brittany and Jackson had Dani all this time! Puck gets to share Beth with Shelby, Maribel has her daughter and Carol has Kurt and Blaine and best of all, I have you Quinn!"

It's true, things finally started going right for everybody once we got through the horrific and twisted game that became life.

"I love you," I tell her, for the fiftieth time today, but you can never tell somebody that you love them too much, not if you mean it.  
"I know," She smiles, "Come on I have something I need to show you."

She pulls me by the hand, giggling like a school girl. She looks back at Santana, who's clearly in on the secret. Our journey back home is five miles, but that doesn't stop Rachel from trying to run the whole way. Santana has already run ahead of us, at first I thought she was trying to race but Rachel made sure she got ahead of us.  
"Please Rachel can we just stop?" I pant.  
"Come on, we're almost there!" She insists.

Our small concrete house lies before us, and even from outside I can see that everybody's inside, my mom and sister included.  
"What's everybody doing here?" I ask as we enter through the door, presumably left open by Santana.

"Just go inside!" Rachel bosses, closing the door behind, I step into the house where everybody is waiting for me with huge smiles on their faces.  
"What's going on?" I quiz.  
"Sit down with me," Rachel asks softly as she pulls me over to the sofa.

"Rachel?" I raise an eyebrow.  
"Quinn, I know we haven't been dating more than a few months, but you and I, we've been through hell and back. And you're still by my side, like you have always been. You've given up so much for me, you've risked your life and you gave me my life back, you woke me up from the nightmare I was living in. You've promised that you'll always be at my side and that you're going to take me away from all this. You're so dedicated to me and now I really need to prove my dedication to you. I wanted to give you something that shows I will never leave you and that I love you always, I've been planning this for a while now but I was never sure when to do it, but today seems pretty perfect, and we have everyone here to see it. I want you to know how much I love you."

I look into her warm, glowing eyes, confused. "Rachel?"

"Marry me Quinn."

In her hand is a small open box made from origami paper, I'm guessing that was Kurt, but it's what's inside the box that I can't keep my eyes off, a simple yet shining silver ring.  
"Rachel, I-" I stammer.  
"I told you that jewellry shop had a purpose," She grins. "Quinn, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and this is proof, just please, give me an answer?"

I nod, speechless. "Yes," I spurt out as a tear runs down my left cheek. "Of course! Oh my gosh, yes Rachel, I will!"

There is a chorus of cheers around us, but my eyes are fixed on Rachel, who's smiling as she reaches into kiss me, I sling my arms around her neck and breathe in her perfect scent. She wants to be mine, forever. Our lips meet and I dread the moment I have to let go of her.  
"I love you Rachel Berry," I whisper.  
" And I love you Quinn Fabray."

* * *

_Life's a game for everyone, and love is the prize._

* * *

**.**

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** Author's note: So that's it, kind of, I'll do a short epilogue but I hope you guys liked this chapter, I always like to end it with romance. I brought Dani back to life just because I got so many complaints about her dying in Everything Dies and I do like the character, but I ship Brittana. I also wanted to give my OC Maritza Jackson a little bit of significance , plus, everybody deserves a happy ever after right? I know Dani had no real part in this story, but I hope some people will be happy with just a cameo.**

** Thank you so much for all the feedback, I appreciate it so much 3 Let me know what you think, I'm sorry if you're disappointed. Im going to Atlanta on Friday and then school so it may be a few months before I write a proper fic again, so thank you everyone for the support I've gotten for Wake Me Up. **


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